Tying Devices as a Means of Increasing Exercise

NCT ID: NCT01410812

Last Updated: 2018-12-19

Study Results

Results available

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

226 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2011-09-30

Study Completion Date

2012-09-30

Brief Summary

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The investigators propose that healthy behaviors such as exercise could be increased through the use of tying devices - mechanisms that force a coupling of addictive activities (listening to the next chapter of a page-turner novel) with engagement in a healthy behavior (exercise).

Detailed Description

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The study will test the effect of the following treatments as a means of increasing gym attendance over 10 weeks: 1. Participants receive access to 4 iTunes audio novels on their own iPods and prompted to listen to those novels only when exercising at the gym; 2: Participants receive 4 iTunes audio novels for a loaned iPod that they will only have access to at the gym; 3: Participants receive weekly emails asking them about their exercise.

Conditions

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Healthy

Keywords

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Interest in exercising more

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Suggested Tying

Receive same treatments as control group, but instead of receiving cash they receive 4 iTunes audio novels for their own iPods. Further, they are prompted to try to listen to those novels only when exercising at the gym in order to increase their attendance.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Suggested Tying Intervention

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants receive 4 iTunes audio novels for their own iPods to listen to only at the gym

Forced Tying

Receives same treatment as the control group. However, in addition to receiving the cash, they also receive 4 iTunes audio novels for a loaned iPod that they will only have access to at the gym. They are told they may only listen to these novels only when at the gym in order to increase their attendance.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Forced Tying Intervention

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants receive cash and also 4 iTunes audio novels for a loaned iPod accessible only at the gym to listen to only at the gym.

Control

Control group of participants who do not receive any intervention but are weighed at the beginning and end of a 10 week period and receive weekly emails asking them about their exercise. They also receive the equivalent cash value of 4 iTunes audio novels

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Control

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Receive weekly emails asking participants about their exercise and receive cash.

Interventions

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Control

Receive weekly emails asking participants about their exercise and receive cash.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Suggested Tying Intervention

Participants receive 4 iTunes audio novels for their own iPods to listen to only at the gym

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Forced Tying Intervention

Participants receive cash and also 4 iTunes audio novels for a loaned iPod accessible only at the gym to listen to only at the gym.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Stable health as determined by the screening of their medical history
* Own an iPod
* An interest in exercising more regularly
* Belong to the Pottruck Gym at University of Pennsylvania
* Interested in exercising more through the use of aerobic exercise machines

Exclusion Criteria

* Recent myocardial infraction
* congestive heart failure
* uncontrolled hypertension
* self-report of 6 or more alcoholic beverages per day or use of any illicit drugs
* bulimia nervosa or related behaviors
* diabetes medication
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

75 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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University of Pennsylvania

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Katherine L. Milkman, Ph.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Pennsylvania

Julia A Minson

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Pennsylvania

Kevin G.M. Volpp, MD, Ph.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Pennsylvania

Locations

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University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

Other Identifiers

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813970

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

NCT01421329

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: nct_alias