A Randomized Controlled Trial of Incentives Versus Environmental Strategies for Weight Loss

Detailed Summary

This study will evaluate the comparative effectiveness of behavioral economic financial incentives and environmental strategies, separately and together, in achieving initial weight loss and maintenance of weight loss, in obese employee populations. Our study contributes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's efforts to combat obesity but in particular to the Centers for Disease Control's winnable battles (physical activity and obesity); the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion's strategic priorities around well-being, health equity, and evaluation and dissemination of environmental and systems-wide solutions to address public health problems; and the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion's domain around healthier work-site initiatives, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's efforts to improve nutrition and physical activity to prevent obesity, and reduction of cardiovascular disease risk. This study is a 4-arm randomized controlled trial in which 344 employees of the City of Philadelphia, Independence Blue Cross, and South Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority with initial Body Mass Index of 30 will be randomized to receive one of the following: 1) Daily lottery type incentives tied to achievement of weight loss goals (incentive arm); 2) individually tailored environmental strategies around food intake and physical activity (environmental arm); 3) a combination of incentives and environmental strategies (combined arm); or 4) standard employee wellness benefits and weigh-ins every 6 months (control arm). Phase I of the study (first 6 months) will focus on weight loss; Phase II (months 7-18) will focus on continued weight loss or maintenance for those who choose to maintain weight loss as opposed to continuing to try to lose weight; Phase III (months 19-24) will provide a period of post-intervention follow-up to measure sustainability of effects.

Study Details

Timeline

Interventions