NCT01575262

The Physical Activity Loyalty Card Scheme

The Physical Activity Loyalty Card Scheme: A Randomised Controlled Trial to Encourage Physical Activity

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2 / Phase 3
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 406 (actual)
• Sponsor: Queen's University, Belfast · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of using incentives to encourage adults to be physically active.

Detailed description

The investigators developed the Physical Activity Loyalty Card (PAL) Scheme which integrates a novel physical activity tracking system with web-based monitoring and nudge initiatives. The tracking system used Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology and a "loyalty card" (PAL Card) which contained a passive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag. Sensors were placed along footpaths in the outdoor environment, in the gym and exercise studio, and participants scanned their PAL card at the sensor when doing physical activity (e.g. walking). A transaction (card ID, sensor ID, and timestamp) was recorded and sent via SMS to a secure data centre. Participants logged onto a personal account on the study website (www.palcard.co.uk) and received real-time feedback on various aspects of their physical activity including minutes, distance and calories expended.

Conditions

• Health Behavior
• Physical Activity

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Non-cash incentives	Participants used their PAL card to self-monitor physical activity levels (intrinsic motivation) and minutes of physical activity were converted to points (1 minute of PA = 1 point; capped at 30 points per day) over the 12-week intervention period. Points were redeemed for rewards (extrinsic motivation) at week 6 and week 12.
BEHAVIORAL	Self-monitoring physical activity levels	For those in the 'No Incentive' arm, participants used their PAL card to self-monitor their physical activity levels but did not collect points or earn rewards.

Timeline

• Start date: 2011-03-01
• Primary completion: 2011-07-01
• Completion: 2011-10-01
• First posted: 2012-04-11
• Last updated: 2012-04-11

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United Kingdom