Clinical trial NCT02538783: The Weigh Forward, Financial Incentives for Maintenance of Weight Loss
Official title: A Randomized Trial of Financial Incentives for Maintenance of Weight Loss
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Obesity
Lead sponsor: University of Pennsylvania
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Duke University
name: National Institute on Aging (NIA)
First posted: 2015-09-02
Enrollment: 259
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 30
Maximum age (years): 80
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Brief summary: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of financial incentives in improving and maintaining weight loss.

Detailed description: The study will evaluate the effectiveness of financial incentives in improving maintenance of weight loss. The investigators propose a 2-arm randomized controlled trial in which 258 participants who lose at least 5 kgs in a weight loss program will be randomized to one of the following: 1) daily weigh-ins and weekly feedback, 2) daily weigh-ins,weekly feedback, and a weekly escalating lottery-based financial incentive.

Study participants will be obese volunteers recruited from a major community-based weight loss program (Weight Watchers), who have lost at least 5kg during the 4-6 months prior to enrolling in the study. Upon enrollment, these participants will have an active online membership with Weight Watchers. Among these participants, the following will be assessed: 1. Assess the effectiveness of escalating lottery rewards, relative to the control group, on maintenance of weight loss over the ensuing 6 months (Phase I); 2.The degree to which weight loss is maintained in the intervention group relative to usual care during the 6 months following the cessation of the interventions (Phase II).

During Phase I, incentives will be provided to some study participants (escalating lottery arm) for the first 6 months and participants will be followed for 6 more months to examine effects following cessation of incentives.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Adults age 30-80
* BMI between 30 and 45 prior to starting Weight Watchers
* Have a documented weight loss of at least 5kg in the past 4-6 months before enrolling
* Stable health
* Have an online Weight Watchers membership

Exclusion Criteria:

* Substance abuse
* Bulimia nervosa or related behaviors
* Pregnancy or breast feeding
* Medical contraindications to counseling about diet, physical activity, or weight reduction
* Unstable mental illness
* Screen positive for pathological gambling on the basis of the 10 item DSM-IV criteria (excluded if meets 5 or more criteria)
* Individuals unable to read consent forms or fill out surveys in English

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in Weight, Baseline and 6 Months
timeFrame: 6 months
measure: Change in Weight, 6 Months and 12 Months
timeFrame: 12 months
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Philadelphia
country: United States
facility: University of Pennsylvania
state: Pennsylvania
Study officials:
References:
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