Testing Strategies for Increasing Exercise

The purpose of the study is to learn more about effective ways to motivate people to increase their non-exercise energy expenditure exercise. This is an important research question because obesity and weight-related issues are increasingly becoming a problem in America. This project will address this research question by testing the effect of group dynamics in motivating employees who are predominantly sedentary to use Walkstations at work. The Walkstations are treadmills that move at a very slow rate (maximum 2miles / hour) and are attached to a work station (i.e. with computer and telephone); they therefore are designed to increase energy spent not through heavy exercise, but through small changes in posture and movement associated with routines in daily life (called nonexercise activity thermogenesis or NEAT). The proposed study is designed to build upon previous research (Levine et al., 2005) suggesting the role of NEAT-enhanced behaviors in weight loss.

In this study, the investigators are interested in the impact of group dynamics on the propensity to use the Walkstations. Participants in the active arms will be asked to use the Walkstations for at least 3 hours per week. They will do so by signing up for a time slot. During their session, they will be asked to log into the scheduling system to indicate that they are using the Walkstation. Walkstation usage will be assessed by log-in data: employees will log-in to the phone and computer when they use the Walkstation. This log-in data is work-station specific; therefore the investigators will be able to tell when a given subject used the Walkstation.

Subjects will be randomly assigned to one of three conditions:

1. Individual. In the individual condition, participants will not be part of a team. They will receive weekly email feedback on their Walkstation performance (e.g. number of time slots they signed up for, and number of times they showed up for the time slot.) Participants will also receive a wellness tip in each email. (see appendix for a sample email)
2. Pairs. In the pair condition, participants will be randomly assigned to a partner. They will receive the same feedback as those in the individual condition, for both themselves AND their partner.
3. Group. In the group condition, participants will be randomly assigned to a group of 5 people. They will receive the same feedback as those in the individual condition, for both themselves AND each member of their group.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Obesity; Sedentary Lifestyle
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Social walking intervention

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 224
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Massachusetts
    • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02215
      • Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Must pass the ParQ
• Must be employee of BCBS Massachusetts

Exclusion Criteria:

• Failing the ParQ
• Not being an employee of BCBS Massachusetts

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Factorial Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control; Participants in the control condition will be asked to refrain from using the WalkStations during the study period.
Experimental: Individual; In the individual condition, participants will not be part of a team. They will receive weekly email feedback on their Walkstation performance (e.g. number of time slots they signed up for, and number of times they showed up for the time slot.)	Behavioral: Social walking intervention; In this intervention, we are interested in the impact of group dynamics on the propensity to use the Walkstations. The intervention consists of 4 levels: control, individual, pair, and group.
Experimental: Pairs; In the pair condition, participants will be randomly assigned to a partner. They will receive the same feedback as those in the individual condition, for both themselves AND their partner.	Behavioral: Social walking intervention; In this intervention, we are interested in the impact of group dynamics on the propensity to use the Walkstations. The intervention consists of 4 levels: control, individual, pair, and group.
Experimental: Groups; In the group condition, participants will be randomly assigned to a group of 5 people. They will receive the same feedback as those in the individual condition, for both themselves AND each member of their group.	Behavioral: Social walking intervention; In this intervention, we are interested in the impact of group dynamics on the propensity to use the Walkstations. The intervention consists of 4 levels: control, individual, pair, and group.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
WalkStation usage	Frequency with which the participant uses the WalkStation	3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Creativity	Creativity measured on versus off the WalkStation.	3 months
Focus	Focus, as measured when person is on versus off the WalkStation.	3 months
Health Behaviors Survey	Survey of health-related behaviors to be completed by participant.	pre-baseline
WalkStation Usage	Frequency with which the participant uses the WalkStation	6 months
Health Behaviors Survey	Survey of health-related behaviors to be completed by participant.	baseline
Health Behaviors Survey	Survey of health-related behaviors to be completed by participant.	6 months
Creativity	Creativity measured on versus off the WalkStation.	baseline
Focus	Focus, as measured when person is on versus off the WalkStation.	baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Harvard University
• Collaborators: Blue Cross Blue Shield

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: June 1, 2010
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 1, 2011
• Study Completion (Actual): January 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 3, 2010
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 7, 2010
• First Posted (Estimate): June 8, 2010

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): August 19, 2015
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 17, 2015
• Last Verified: August 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: WalkStation1