The Impact of Financial Incentives on Physical Activity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Luong, My-Linh Nguyen; Hall, Michelle; Bennell, Kim L; Kasza, Jessica; Harris, Anthony; Hinman, Rana S

doi:10.1177/0890117120940133

Cited by 30 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…Although findings did not support theorizing that mental fatigue influenced people's intensity decision-making, results demonstrate that offering a $4.00 CAD incentive significantly increased selection of the vigorous-intensity option under conditions of low mental fatigue. This finding Results extend the body of literature demonstrating positive effects of financial incentives on PA behavior (Luong et al, 2021;Mitchell et al, 2020) by showing incentives can also bias acute choice toward a more effortful task when choosing between moderate-and vigorous-intensity exercises. Additionally, results align with previous findings demonstrating modest financial incentives can significantly influence choice in favor of more physically effortful tasks as the difference in reward between options in this study was $2.00 CAD.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

“…Results extend the body of literature demonstrating positive effects of financial incentives on PA behavior (Luong et al, 2021; Mitchell et al, 2020) by showing incentives can also bias acute choice toward a more effortful task when choosing between moderate- and vigorous-intensity exercises. Additionally, results align with previous findings demonstrating modest financial incentives can significantly influence choice in favor of more physically effortful tasks as the difference in reward between options in this study was $2.00 CAD.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

“…Given evidence that people are more likely to select a less-effortful task when mentally fatigued (Harris & Bray, 2019) it was predicted that the HF group would select the vigorous-intensity option less frequently than the LF group. Consistent with literature showing positive effects of incentives on PA behavior (Brown & Bray, 2017;Luong et al, 2021;Mitchell et al, 2020) it was predicted that the LF$ group would select the vigorous-intensity option at a greater frequency than the LF group. Finally, it was predicted that the HF$ group would select the vigorous-intensity option at a similar frequency to the LF group (i.e., mental fatigue and incentives offset one another).…”

supporting

confidence: 71%

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Effects of mental fatigue and monetary incentives on exercise intensity decision-making and performance.

Harris¹,

Bray²

2022

Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology

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Mental fatigue affects choice between exercise and nonexercise tasks. Provision of financial or monetary incentives biases decision-making in favor of exercise behaviors. The present study examined the effects of mental fatigue and monetary incentives on exercise intensity decision-making and physical performance. Using a 2 [higher fatigue (HF) vs. lower fatigue (LF)] × 2 [incentive ($) vs. no incentive] between-groups design, recreationally active participants (N = 77, M age = 20.14 ± 2.16 years) completed a 12-min manipulation designed to create higher and lower levels of mental fatigue and then chose between moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity exercise protocols. Participants in the incentive groups were offered $2.00 CAD or $4.00 CAD for the moderate or vigorous-intensity options, respectively, and participants were required to perform their chosen exercise task. Mental fatigue in the HF groups was significantly higher than the LF groups. Analyses revealed an overall greater frequency of selecting vigorousintensity versus moderate-intensity exercise with no difference in choice frequency between the HF and LF groups. Paired comparisons showed a significantly greater frequency of selecting the vigorous-intensity option in the LF$ group compared to the LF group, and a nonsignificant, medium-sized effect showing a slight bias toward the vigorous-intensity option for people in the HF$ group compared to the LF group. No differences were observed between groups in physical work performed during exercise. Findings suggest a disproportionate influence of incentives over mental fatigue on exercise intensity decision-making and no effect of mental fatigue on self-selected, selfpaced exercise.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

supporting

confidence: 71%

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Effects of mental fatigue and monetary incentives on exercise intensity decision-making and performance.

Harris¹,

Bray²

2022

Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology

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“…For instance, smoking cessation programmes based on obtaining rewards are considered acceptable, although programmes based on the possibility of losing a deposit may be more efficacious [ 17 ]. Yet, the effects of such financial incentives on promoting physical activity appear to be limited [ 18 ].…”

Section: ‘Soft’ Policiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

An appeal to our government for nationwide policies in the prevention of cardiovascular disease

et al. 2021

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The high prevalence and burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is largely attributable to unhealthy lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity and unhealthy food habits. Prevention of CVD, through the promotion of healthy lifestyles, appears to be a Sisyphean task for healthcare professionals, as the root causes of an unhealthy lifestyle lie largely outside their scope. Since most lifestyle choices are habitual and a response to environmental cues, rather than rational and deliberate choices, nationwide policies targeting the context in which lifestyle behaviours occur may be highly effective in the prevention of CVD. In this point-of-view article, we emphasise the need for government policies beyond those mentioned in the National Prevention Agreement in the Netherlands to effectively reduce the CVD risk, and we address the commonly raised concerns regarding ‘paternalism’.

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“…Conversely, mHealth programs that feature health promoting financial incentives (HPFIs) have been shown to provide powerful extrinsic motivation in young persons and adults [21][22][23][24]. However, the moral underpinnings of offering a reward in return for health behaviors have been the subject of debate [25,26], and several studies have questioned whether HPFIs can produce sustained behavior change [27][28][29][30]. A recent paper has, however, characterized the relationship between physical activity behaviors and habits as bidirectional [31].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Active Use and Engagement in an mHealth Initiative Among Young Men With Obesity: Mixed Methods Study

Gorny¹,

Chee²,

Müller‐Riemenschneider³

2022

JMIR Form Res

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Background The effectiveness of mobile health (mHealth) approaches that employ wearable technology to promote physical activity have been the subject of concern due to the declining active use observed in trial settings. Objective To better contextualize active use, this study aimed to identify the barriers and enablers to engagement in a tracker-based mHealth initiative among young men who had recently completed a 19-week residential weight loss program. Methods A mixed methods study was conducted among 167 young men who had voluntarily enrolled in the national steps challenge (NSC), an mHealth physical activity promotion initiative, following a residential weight loss intervention. A subsample of 29 enrollees with a body mass index of 29.6 (SD 3.1) participated in semistructured interviews and additional follow-up assessments. Quantitative systems data on daily step count rates were used to describe active use. Qualitative data were coded and analyzed to elicit barriers and enablers to microlevel engagement in relation to the NSC, focusing on tracker and smartphone use. We further elicited barriers and enablers to macrolevel engagement by exploring attitudes and behaviors toward the NSC. Using triangulation, we examined how qualitative engagement in the NSC could account for quantitative findings on active use. Using integration of findings, we discussed how the mHealth intervention might have changed physical activity behavior. Results Among the 167 original enrollees, active use declined from 72 (47%) in week 1 to 27 (17%) in week 21. Mean daily step counts peaked in week 1 at 10,576 steps per day and were variable throughout the NSC. Barriers to engagement had occurred in the form of technical issues leading to abandonment, device switching, and offline tracking. Passive attitudes toward step counting and disinterest in the rewards had also prevented deeper engagement. Enablers of engagement included self-monitoring and coaching features, while system targets and the implicit prospect of reward had fostered new physical activity behaviors. Conclusions Our study showed that as the NSC is implemented in this population, more emphasis should be placed on technical support and personalized activity targets to promote lasting behavior change.

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The Impact of Financial Incentives on Physical Activity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cited by 30 publications

References 64 publications

Effects of mental fatigue and monetary incentives on exercise intensity decision-making and performance.

Effects of mental fatigue and monetary incentives on exercise intensity decision-making and performance.

An appeal to our government for nationwide policies in the prevention of cardiovascular disease

Active Use and Engagement in an mHealth Initiative Among Young Men With Obesity: Mixed Methods Study

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