Boosting Physical Activity Among Individuals With Low Engagement Through Double-Point Incentives in a Community-Based...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Digital Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Incentive administration for physical activity varies based on behavior, setting, delivery, and participant preferences.
• Fiscal constraints impact large-scale public health interventions, necessitating examination of temporary incentive effects.
• Limited funding for community-based interventions highlights the importance of studying both immediate and sustained impacts of incentive increases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a 1-week double-point incentive event on physical activity.
• To assess the effectiveness of this incentive strategy among low-engaged individuals in a mobile health (mHealth) intervention.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of data from a Seoul Metropolitan Government mHealth intervention (November-December 2021).
• Focus on low-engaged participants (n=27,833) averaging <3 days/week meeting step goals.
• Segmented regression, multivariable logistic regression, and Cox proportional hazards models were used.

Main Results:

• Only 13.7% of low-engaged participants improved physical activity.
• Daily challenge engagement increased 2.53-fold; average daily steps rose by 1925 (SMD 0.55).
• Older age correlated with immediate improvement; older age and wearable device use correlated with sustained activity. 50% reverted to low engagement post-intervention.

Conclusions:

• Short-term double-point incentives can motivate low-engagement individuals but do not ensure long-term physical activity maintenance in mHealth interventions.
• Further research is needed to identify strategies beyond financial incentives for sustained behavior change.
• Community-based mHealth interventions require diverse approaches to promote lasting healthy habits.