STEP Together: An Effectiveness-Implementation Study of Social Incentives and Physical Activity

STEP Together: A Hybrid Type 1 Effectiveness-Implementation Study of Social Incentives Strategies to Increase Physical Activity

Higher levels of physical activity have been demonstrated to improve health across a wide range of contexts and reduce cognitive decline as adults become older, but more than half of all adults in the United States do not meet their physical activity goals. One type of physical activity that is broadly applicable to people of all ages is walking. This study will use a Hybrid Type 1 effectiveness-implementation design to adapt and test the effectiveness of two successful social incentive-based interventions, a gamification strategy and financial incentives donated to charity on the participants behalf, to increase physical activity among low-income, mostly minority families in community settings.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Able to read and speak English;
• Has a smartphone or tablet;
• Lives in the Philadelphia area;
• Age 14 or older;
• Able to provide informed consent;
• Enrolled as a member of a 2 to 10 member family team with least one member 60 years or older.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Already participating in another physical activity study;
• An 18-month physical activity program is infeasible (e.g., metastatic cancer, unable to ambulate or provide informed consent) or unsafe (currently pregnant or told by a physician not to exercise);
• Do not have sufficient eyesight or dexterity to operate device;
• Average step count greater than 7,500 steps/day during the run-in period.