Effect of a financial incentive (shopping point) on increasing the number of daily walking steps among community-dwelling adults in Japan: a randomised controlled trial

Abstract

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a financial incentive on the number of daily walking steps among community-dwelling adults in Japan.Study designTwo-arm, parallel-group randomised controlled trial.Setting/participantsWe recruited physically inactive community-dwelling adults from Sendai city, Japan. Eligible participants were randomly allocated to an intervention or a wait list control group. Pedometers were used to assess the mean number of daily steps in three periods: baseline (weeks 1–3), intervention (weeks 4–6) and follow-up (weeks 7–9).InterventionThe intervention group was offered a financial incentive (shopping points) to meet the target number of increased daily steps in the intervention period.Main outcome measuresThe primary outcome was an increase in the mean number of daily steps in the intervention and follow-up periods compared with baseline.ResultsSeventy-two participants (69.4% women; mean age, 61.2±16.2 years; mean number of daily steps at baseline, 6364±2804) were randomised to the intervention (n=36) and control groups (n=36). During the intervention period, the increase in mean daily steps was significantly higher in the intervention group (1650, 95% CI=1182 to 2119) than in the control group (514, 95% CI=136 to 891; p<0.001). However, the difference between groups was not significant at follow-up after the incentives were removed (p=0.311). In addition, compared with controls, a significantly higher proportion of participants in the intervention group showed an increase in mean daily steps of ≥1000 (69.4% vs 30.6%, respectively; OR=5.17, 95% CI=1.89 to 14.08). There were no adverse effects from the intervention.ConclusionsThe present results suggest that financial incentives are effective in promoting short-term increases in physical activity.Trial registration numberUMIN000033276.

mHealth interventions targeting movement behaviors in Asia: A scoping review

“…Most were randomized (31/80, 38.8% 56,57,59–63,65,68,73–75,89,93,94,96,98–100,105,109,111,114,115,117–119,126,129,130,132,134 ) or quasi‐experimental trials (22/80, 27.5% single group pre–post 51,67,70,71,77–79,81,86,87,91,97,103,106,108,112,113,120–123,133 ; 10/80, 12.5% non‐randomized control trials 54,58,64,72,80,84,90,102,110,125 ); usability studies using mixed methods (8/80, 10.0% 69,76,92,104,107,127,128,131 ) or qualitative usability studies (4/80, 5.0% 82,83,85,88 ); three cross‐sectional (3/80, 3.8% 66,95,124 ); and one qualitative study 101 . Studies targeted adults (56/80, 70.0% 51,54,57,59,60,66–68,70–78,80,84–86,88,89,91,92,95,96,98,99,101–105,107–110,112–114,117,119,120,122–133 ), older adults (12/80, 15.0% 58,61–65,79,81,87,94,116,118 ), and children/adolescents (5/80, 6.3% 56,90,93,115,121 ); four recruited child–parent dyads (4/80, 5....…”

“…Of these 17 countries/territories, eight are classified as high‐income, six are upper middle‐income, and three are lower middle‐income countries/territories. In total, 52 studies were conducted in high‐income (65.0% 54,55,57–81,90–108,113–116,129,131 ), 23 in upper middle‐ (28.7% 82–84,86–89,109–112,117–124,128,132,133 ), and five in lower middle‐income countries/territories (6.3% 51,125–127,130 ). There were no studies from low‐income countries.…”

“…Most interventions targeted physical activity (75/80, 93.8% 51,54,55,57,58,60–62,64–68,70–72,74–81,83–108,110,112–133 ), few targeted sedentary behavior (6/80, 7.5% 59,80,98,100,109,127 ), or sleep (7/80, 8.8% 69,77,82,109,111,114,128 ). Most targeted just one movement behavior (72/80, 90.0%), typically physical activity (68/80, 85.0% 51,54,55,57,58,60–68,70–76,78,79,81,83–97,99,101–108,110,112,113,115–126,129–133 ); three targeted sleep alone (3/80, 3.8% 82,111 ); and one targeted sedentary behavior (1/80, 1.3% 59 ). Where two movement behaviors were targeted (8/80, 10.0%), these were physical activity and sedentary behavior (4/80, 5.0% 80,98,100,127 ) and physical activity and sleep (3/80, 3.8% 77,114,128 ), ...…”

“…Most (64/80, 80.0%) studies included a measure of efficacy in relation to the targeted movement behavior(s). Of the 74 physical activity interventions, self‐reported methods were most common (i.e., questionnaire and time‐use diary; 31/74, 41.9% 51,61,66,72–75,77,78,86,89,90,93–97,99,105,110,113,116–119,122,123,125,127,131,133 ), followed by device measured (i.e., pedometer, accelerometer, and smartphone app; 24/74, 32.4% 57,60,62,64,65,67,68,70,79–81,83,88,91,96,98,100,102,103,116,120,124,129,130,132 ), and some used a combination of both (6/74, 8.1% 55,58,63,112,115,121 ). There were 14 studies that did not report a specific physical activity‐related outcome measure (14/74, 18.9% 71,76,84,85,91,92,101,104,106–108,114,126,128 ).…”

“…The included studies were published between 2007 and 2021, and 87.5% (70/80) were published between 2014 and 2021 (see Figure 2). Studies were from 17 countries/territories out of a possible 55: 14 from Japan [57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70] ; 12 from Korea 54,[71][72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81] ; nine from China [82][83][84][85][86][87][88][89] ; eight from Hong Kong [90][91][92][93][94][95][96][97] ; seven from Singapore 56,[98][99][100][101][102]…”