Using Behavioural Economics for More Sustainable Physical Activity mHealth Incentives: the Caterpillar App

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This 12-week study aims to test a sustainable incentive-based physical activity app program that may lower the size of incentive needed to stimulate physical activity and drive incentive costs down. Following the 5-day starting assessment (baseline) period, participants will be able to earn incentives in the form of loyalty points when they reach their daily step goals set by the Caterpillar app. Over the course of the 12-week study period, users will be rewarded for reaching their step goals through three different incentive programs in 30 day intervals: Month 1 (users will earn daily rewards of 3¢ per day upon achieving personalized daily step goal); Month 2 (users will earn weekly rewards (25¢ per week goal met 5+ times); Month 3 (users will earn team-based rewards (35¢ per week if 10+ goals are reached collaboratively with another user).

Official Title
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Applying Behavioural Economics for More Sustainable Physical Activity Incentives: A 12-week Pilot Feasibility Trial of the Caterpillar App in Leeds, UK

Conditions
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Physical Inactivity, Healthy Eating

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Financial Health Incentives


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: For iPhone users, only those with the 5S model or higher (device compatibility) Android smartphone users can also participate if their device supported step counting (i.e., has an accelerometer), but they are required to download the equivalent of Health Kit (e.g., the Google Fit application) first (this is an app, not study, related requirement). Over 18 years old Exclusion Criteria: - Caterpillar users who do not agree to the privacy agreement.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Interventional Model Description: Pre-post, single group cohort - all Caterpillar Health app users will be subject to the intervention of utilizing financial incentives and adaptable step goals throughout the 12-week intervention
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Financial Health Incentives<br>fter registration on the Caterpillar App, participants will be instructed to 'carry their phone' as much as possible during a 5-day baseline period to assess their daily step counts. In Month 1, participants will earn daily rewards (3¢ per day personalized daily step goal met; BE present bias). In Month 2, users will earn weekly rewards (25¢ per week goal met 5+ times; BE fresh start). In Month 3, users will earn team-based rewards (35¢ per week if 10+ goals are reached collaboratively with someone they know e.g., friend; BE herd mentality). Participants are expected to earn $1.25 CAD (or 0.75 British pounds) over the course of the 12-week intervention (about $5/person/yr). Rather than offer daily incentives indefinitely, Caterpillar will offer daily incentives as a temporary feature-moving to larger, less frequent, less certain (team-based) incentives as PA becomes habitual. | Behavioral: Financial Health Incentives<br>* After registration on the Caterpillar App, participants will be instructed to 'carry their phone' as much as possible during a 5-day baseline period to assess their daily step counts. In Month 1, participants will earn daily rewards (3¢ per day personalized daily step goal met; BE present bias). In Month 2, users will earn weekly rewards (25¢ per week goal met 5+ times; BE fresh start). In Month 3, users will earn team-based rewards (35¢ per week if 10+ goals are reached collaboratively with someone they know e.g., friend; BE herd mentality). Participants are expected to earn $1.25 CAD (or 0.75 British pounds) over the course of the 12-week intervention (about $5/person/yr). Rather than offer daily incentives indefinitely, Caterpillar will offer daily incentives as a temporary feature-moving to larger, less frequent, less certain (team-based) incentives as PA becomes habitual.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| App Uptake: Number of Downloads Each Week | Total number of Caterpillar app downloads off the App Store or Google Play | 12 weeks | 
| App Uptake: proportion of daily active users per week | number of users opening the app daily vs. number of total users | 12 weeks | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Intervention effectiveness: Change in mean daily step count | measured by smartphone accelerometer | 12 weeks | 
| Intervention effectiveness: change in mean weekly minutes of moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity | measured by smartphone accelerometer | 12 weeks | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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mHealth, behavioural economics, financial incentives, physical inactivity, self-monitoring