Penn State Hershey Sitting and Health Study

Desk-Compatible Elliptical Device: Feasibility Evaluation

The purpose of this study is to: (a) evaluate if a desk-based elliptical device can help employees to increase their daily physical activity without compromising work productivity; and (b) evaluate the effects of different types of incentives for pedaling the desk-based elliptical device on employees' pedaling quantity over a one-month intervention period. The study will involve placing a compact elliptical device (provided at no cost by the research team) under employees' desk at Penn State Hershey Medical Center/College of Medicine. Data evaluating the effects of the elliptical device on work productivity will be obtained from both employees and the employees' supervisors.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Physical Activity
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Desk-based pedaling device and pedaling incentives provided

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Pennsylvania
    • Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States, 17033
      • Penn State Hershey Medical Center

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:

• Full time employee, employed at least 35 hours per week at Penn State Hershey
• Able to provide documented approval from supervisor to participate
• Age 18-70 years
• Overweight or obese (BMI between 25-55)
• Sit at desk at least 5 hours per day
• Have regular working hours between 6 am and 6 pm on weekdays
• Ability to understand written and spoken English
• Own a smartphone (Android or iPhone) with Internet access
• Willing to download cycling app on smartphone during one month study period

Exclusion Criteria:

• Not present in Penn State Hershey office during study period due to personal circumstances such as travel/extended vacation or leave, relocation, or health-related circumstances
• Advised to only do physical activity recommended by a physician
• Chest pain during physical activity or during prior month
• Currently has a desk-based pedaling device or treadmill workstation already installed at desk

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Factorial Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

6

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Usual Delayed Compensation, Money; Will receive delayed monetary compensation with Amazon gift card, non performance-contingent.	Behavioral: Desk-based pedaling device and pedaling incentives provided; Varying types of incentives, equivalent in monetary value, will be randomly assigned across the 6 arms to promote regular desk-based pedaling. A free desk-based pedaling device will be provided. Effects on amount of desk-based pedaling and work productivity will be evaluated.
Active Comparator: Usual Delayed Compensation, Food; Will receive delayed compensation with food-based gift card, non performance-contingent.	Behavioral: Desk-based pedaling device and pedaling incentives provided; Varying types of incentives, equivalent in monetary value, will be randomly assigned across the 6 arms to promote regular desk-based pedaling. A free desk-based pedaling device will be provided. Effects on amount of desk-based pedaling and work productivity will be evaluated.
Experimental: Individual Immediate Contingent Reward, Money; Will receive daily performance-contingent monetary compensation with Amazon gift card.	Behavioral: Desk-based pedaling device and pedaling incentives provided; Varying types of incentives, equivalent in monetary value, will be randomly assigned across the 6 arms to promote regular desk-based pedaling. A free desk-based pedaling device will be provided. Effects on amount of desk-based pedaling and work productivity will be evaluated.
Experimental: Individual Immediate Contingent Reward, Food; Will receive daily performance-contingent food-based gift card.	Behavioral: Desk-based pedaling device and pedaling incentives provided; Varying types of incentives, equivalent in monetary value, will be randomly assigned across the 6 arms to promote regular desk-based pedaling. A free desk-based pedaling device will be provided. Effects on amount of desk-based pedaling and work productivity will be evaluated.
Experimental: Joint Immediate Contingent Reward, Money; Will receive daily performance-contingent monetary compensation with Amazon gift card, with additional compensation contingent on pedaling activity of co-worker participant.	Behavioral: Desk-based pedaling device and pedaling incentives provided; Varying types of incentives, equivalent in monetary value, will be randomly assigned across the 6 arms to promote regular desk-based pedaling. A free desk-based pedaling device will be provided. Effects on amount of desk-based pedaling and work productivity will be evaluated.
Experimental: Joint Immediate Contingent Reward, Food; Will receive daily performance-contingent monetary compensation with food gift card, with additional compensation contingent on pedaling activity of co-worker participant.	Behavioral: Desk-based pedaling device and pedaling incentives provided; Varying types of incentives, equivalent in monetary value, will be randomly assigned across the 6 arms to promote regular desk-based pedaling. A free desk-based pedaling device will be provided. Effects on amount of desk-based pedaling and work productivity will be evaluated.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Worker Productivity	Self-report assessments of worker productivity. The assessments will ask about work productivity in the prior 4-week period.	Baseline (1 month period prior to program start) and post-program (immediately after program ends)
Elliptical Device Pedaling Quantity	Objectively-measured pedaling quantity from elliptical device	1 month (4 weeks) during pedaling program

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
User satisfaction, process evaluations	Satisfaction with intervention condition	Post-program (immediately after program ends)
General (non-desk pedaling) physical activity	Self-reported physical activity	Baseline (1 month period prior to program start) and post-program (immediately after program ends)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 16, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 12, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): March 11, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 1, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 5, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): September 7, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 19, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 14, 2020
• Last Verified: October 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 1R21HL118453 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No