Using Self-Motivating Messages to Encourage People to Exercise More

NCT ID: NCT02903849

Last Updated: 2017-05-09

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 324 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2016-09-30
• Study Completion Date: 2017-01-31

Brief Summary

The investigators are interested in using personalized, self-motivating messages to motivate people to exercise more.

Detailed Description

The investigators are interested in using personalized, self-motivating messages to motivate people to exercise more. Through a partnership with a university, the investigators are running a large-scale, randomized field controlled trial aimed at increasing exercise frequencies during a 100-day challenge. The primary purpose of this study is to test whether sending people motivating messages they wrote to themselves in the past can keep them engaged in the challenge and motivate them to exercise more frequently. One week into the challenge, employees who have signed up for the challenge will receive an email inviting them to participate in a short activity. Employees who click on the link will be directed to a survey. Once they finish reading the first introductory page and click "next", they will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. In the control group, employees will be encouraged to write down what they think will motivate them to walk more after 20, 50, and 90 days into the Challenge. These employees will receive standard reminders on the 20th, 50th, and 90th day of the challenge. In the treatment group, employees will be encouraged to write down motivating messages that they will receive on the 20th, 50th, and 90th day of the Challenge.

All employees who are exposed to either the control or the treatment condition will be included in the analysis.

The investigators plan to explore moderators based on (a) employees' demographics (age, gender, ethnicity, position), (b) employees' participation in previous challenges, and (c) employees' health condition and fitness level prior to the challenge (such as how actively they have been participating in other wellness activities, their health statistics).

Conditions

Physical Activity

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Control

On the 20th, 50th, and 90th day of the Challenge, Wellness Connection will email employees who participate in this survey. Employees will receive standard reminders generated by Wellness Connection.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Drafting Motivational Messages

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Write down three motivating messages

Control Reminders

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Receive standard reminders at three points during the challenge

Treatment

On the 20th, 50th, and 90th day of the Challenge, Wellness Connection will email employees who participate in this survey. Employees will see the motivating messages they wrote at the beginning of the Challenge, in addition to Wellness Connection's standard reminders.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Drafting Motivational Messages

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Write down three motivating messages

Treatment Reminders

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Receive reminders containing the messages they leave themselves at three points during the challenge

Interventions

Drafting Motivational Messages

Write down three motivating messages

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Control Reminders

Receive standard reminders at three points during the challenge

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Treatment Reminders

Receive reminders containing the messages they leave themselves at three points during the challenge

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Employees who click on the link inviting them to participate in an activity and are assigned to either the treatment or control condition

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of California, Los Angeles

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Washington University School of Medicine

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Hengchen Dai

Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Hengchen Dai, Ph.D

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Washington University School of Medicine

Locations

Hengchen Dai

St Louis, Missouri, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

2016080382

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id