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Visualization of Intensity Levels to Reduce the Gap Between Self-Reported and Directly Measured Physical Activity
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Individual Versus Team-Based Financial Incentives to Increase Physical Activity: A Randomized, Controlled Trial
Mitesh S Patel1,2,3,4,5, David A Asch6,7,8,9,10, Roy Rosin9
1Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. mpatel@upenn.edu.
Journal of General Internal Medicine
|March 16, 2016
Summary
Financial incentives combining individual and team goals significantly increased physical activity compared to individual or team goals alone. This study highlights effective strategies for promoting health through financial motivation.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Behavioral Science
- Health Economics
Background:
- Over half of US adults do not meet recommended physical activity levels for health benefits.
- The most effective design for financial incentives to boost physical activity remains undetermined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of individual versus team-based financial incentives in increasing physical activity.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involved 304 adult employees in Philadelphia, organized into 76 four-member teams.
- Participants received daily step goal feedback. Financial incentives were awarded through daily drawings for individual, team, or combined individual-team performance over a 13-week intervention period.
Main Results:
- The combined incentive group showed a significantly higher proportion of participant-days achieving the 7000-step goal (0.35) compared to the control group (0.18).
- Individual (0.25) and team (0.17) incentives did not significantly increase goal achievement compared to control (0.18).
- The combined incentive group also demonstrated significantly higher mean daily steps than the control group.
Conclusions:
- Financial incentives that reward a combination of individual and team performance are most effective in promoting physical activity.
- This approach offers a promising strategy for public health interventions aimed at increasing sedentary populations' activity levels.
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