Clinical trial NCT04573972: Using Social Connectedness to Increase Physical Activity
Official title: Using Social Connectedness to Increase Physical Activity
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Activity, Motor
Social Isolation
Keywords: incentives
Lead sponsor: Carnegie Mellon University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: University of Virginia
First posted: 2020-10-05
Enrollment: 172
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: Two group, between-subjects design
Primary purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE

Brief summary: A randomized controlled trial will test the effectiveness of social incentives relative to traditional incentives in promoting walking behavior among college students (N=200). Participants who are rewarded for walking together will be compared to those who are rewarded for walking even when alone. Research participants will download activity tracking apps (Fitbit app and AWARE app) that provide activity and location data. Participants will be consented and then randomized to one of two incentive schemes for walking. Over a 2-week intervention period, the standard incentive group will earn $2 per day when they meet their walking goal regardless of whether they walk alone or with others. The social incentive group will earn $1 per day when they reach their walking goal plus an additional $1 when they walk at least 2000 steps with their walking partner. The incentive scheme will be in place for 2-weeks, preceded by a 1-week baseline period and followed by a 2-week follow-up period.

Detailed description: The objective of the study is to test whether social incentives that encourage physical activity with another person are more effective than incentives for individual exercise. Physical inactivity and social isolation are growing epidemics linked to increased morbidity and mortality particularly among aging Americans. This research aims to address both problems by encouraging co-productive physical activities among college students. Co-productive physical activity mean anything involving physical activity that two people can do together, e.g., walking their dogs or shopping together. Additionally, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, walking together in this study means either walking while communicating digitally or over the phone, or by physically walking together while wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart, and following the recommendations from health professionals. A small randomized controlled trial will test the effectiveness of social incentives relative to traditional incentives in promoting walking behavior. Participants who are rewarded for walking together will be compared to those who are rewarded for walking even when alone. The results will indicate whether social incentives are more motivating than traditional incentives for walking behavior.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Age 18+
* Able to read and understand English-language surveys
* Own either iPhone or Android smartphones
* Willing to carry the smart phone during the study period and to respond to daily texts or emails from the study team
* Registered for the study as a dyad (friend pairs), with one member of the dyad a Carnegie Mellon University student

Exclusion Criteria:

• Contraindications for increased physical activity

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in Mean Daily Steps Walked From Baseline Period (Week 1) to Intervention Period (Weeks 2 and 3)
timeFrame: week 2-3
measure: Change in Mean Daily Steps Walked From Baseline Period (Week 1) to Follow-up Period (Weeks 4-5)
timeFrame: week 4-5
measure: Mean Number of Days Met Daily Step Goal During Intervention Period (Weeks 2-3) Minus Mean Number of Days Met Same Level of Walking in Baseline Period (Week 1)
timeFrame: week 2-3
measure: Mean Number of Days Met Daily Step Goal During Follow-up Period (Weeks 4-5) Minus Mean Number of Days Met Same Level of Walking in Baseline Period (Week 1)
timeFrame: week 4-5
measure: Change in Score on University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale (Survey Measure)
timeFrame: week 5
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Fraction of Days Participant Walked Together With Partner (Self Report) During Intervention Period (Weeks 2-3)
timeFrame: week 2-3
measure: Fraction of Days Participant Walked Together With Partner (Self Report) During Follow-up Period (Weeks 4-5)
timeFrame: week 4-5
measure: Proportion of Days Participant Walked Together With Partner (Coded)
timeFrame: week 2-3
measure: Proportion of Days Participant Walked Together With Partner (Coded)
timeFrame: week 4-5
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Pittsburgh
country: United States
facility: Carnegie Mellon University
state: Pennsylvania
Study officials:
affiliation: Carnegie Mellon University
name: GRETCHEN B CHAPMAN, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: