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

Objective The 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 design Two-arm, parallel-group randomised controlled trial.Setting/participants We recruited physically inactive community-dwelli...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yasutake Tomata, Fumiya Tanji, Shu Zhang, Saho Abe, Sanae Matsuyama, Yumika Kotaki, Dieta Nurrika, Koichi Matsumoto, Yingxu Liu, Yukai Lu, Shino Bando, Teiichiro Yamazaki, Tatsui Otsuka, Toshimasa Sone
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2020-11-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/11/e037303.full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1846152068482465792
author Yasutake Tomata
Fumiya Tanji
Shu Zhang
Saho Abe
Sanae Matsuyama
Yumika Kotaki
Dieta Nurrika
Koichi Matsumoto
Yingxu Liu
Yukai Lu
Shino Bando
Teiichiro Yamazaki
Tatsui Otsuka
Toshimasa Sone
author_facet Yasutake Tomata
Fumiya Tanji
Shu Zhang
Saho Abe
Sanae Matsuyama
Yumika Kotaki
Dieta Nurrika
Koichi Matsumoto
Yingxu Liu
Yukai Lu
Shino Bando
Teiichiro Yamazaki
Tatsui Otsuka
Toshimasa Sone
author_sort Yasutake Tomata
collection DOAJ
description Objective The 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 design Two-arm, parallel-group randomised controlled trial.Setting/participants We 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).Intervention The intervention group was offered a financial incentive (shopping points) to meet the target number of increased daily steps in the intervention period.Main outcome measures The primary outcome was an increase in the mean number of daily steps in the intervention and follow-up periods compared with baseline.Results Seventy-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.Conclusions The present results suggest that financial incentives are effective in promoting short-term increases in physical activity.Trial registration number UMIN000033276.
format Article
id doaj-art-9e25d310c4334c4ba69dee9ea3dc4a4f
institution Kabale University
issn 2044-6055
language English
publishDate 2020-11-01
publisher BMJ Publishing Group
record_format Article
series BMJ Open
spelling doaj-art-9e25d310c4334c4ba69dee9ea3dc4a4f2024-11-26T23:30:11ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552020-11-01101110.1136/bmjopen-2020-037303Effect of a financial incentive (shopping point) on increasing the number of daily walking steps among community-dwelling adults in Japan: a randomised controlled trialYasutake Tomata0Fumiya Tanji1Shu Zhang2Saho Abe3Sanae Matsuyama4Yumika Kotaki5Dieta Nurrika6Koichi Matsumoto7Yingxu Liu8Yukai Lu9Shino Bando10Teiichiro Yamazaki11Tatsui Otsuka12Toshimasa Sone13Faculty of Health and Social Services, Kanagawa University of Human Services, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan1 Division of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, JapanDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Sichuan University West China Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China1 Division of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan1 Division of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan1 Division of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan1 Division of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan1 Division of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan1 Division of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan1 Division of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan1 Division of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan1 Division of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan1 Division of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan4 Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Science, Tohoku Fukushi University, Sendai, Miyagi, JapanObjective The 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 design Two-arm, parallel-group randomised controlled trial.Setting/participants We 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).Intervention The intervention group was offered a financial incentive (shopping points) to meet the target number of increased daily steps in the intervention period.Main outcome measures The primary outcome was an increase in the mean number of daily steps in the intervention and follow-up periods compared with baseline.Results Seventy-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.Conclusions The present results suggest that financial incentives are effective in promoting short-term increases in physical activity.Trial registration number UMIN000033276.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/11/e037303.full
spellingShingle Yasutake Tomata
Fumiya Tanji
Shu Zhang
Saho Abe
Sanae Matsuyama
Yumika Kotaki
Dieta Nurrika
Koichi Matsumoto
Yingxu Liu
Yukai Lu
Shino Bando
Teiichiro Yamazaki
Tatsui Otsuka
Toshimasa Sone
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
BMJ Open
title 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
title_full 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
title_fullStr 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
title_full_unstemmed 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
title_short 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
title_sort 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
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/11/e037303.full
work_keys_str_mv AT yasutaketomata effectofafinancialincentiveshoppingpointonincreasingthenumberofdailywalkingstepsamongcommunitydwellingadultsinjapanarandomisedcontrolledtrial
AT fumiyatanji effectofafinancialincentiveshoppingpointonincreasingthenumberofdailywalkingstepsamongcommunitydwellingadultsinjapanarandomisedcontrolledtrial
AT shuzhang effectofafinancialincentiveshoppingpointonincreasingthenumberofdailywalkingstepsamongcommunitydwellingadultsinjapanarandomisedcontrolledtrial
AT sahoabe effectofafinancialincentiveshoppingpointonincreasingthenumberofdailywalkingstepsamongcommunitydwellingadultsinjapanarandomisedcontrolledtrial
AT sanaematsuyama effectofafinancialincentiveshoppingpointonincreasingthenumberofdailywalkingstepsamongcommunitydwellingadultsinjapanarandomisedcontrolledtrial
AT yumikakotaki effectofafinancialincentiveshoppingpointonincreasingthenumberofdailywalkingstepsamongcommunitydwellingadultsinjapanarandomisedcontrolledtrial
AT dietanurrika effectofafinancialincentiveshoppingpointonincreasingthenumberofdailywalkingstepsamongcommunitydwellingadultsinjapanarandomisedcontrolledtrial
AT koichimatsumoto effectofafinancialincentiveshoppingpointonincreasingthenumberofdailywalkingstepsamongcommunitydwellingadultsinjapanarandomisedcontrolledtrial
AT yingxuliu effectofafinancialincentiveshoppingpointonincreasingthenumberofdailywalkingstepsamongcommunitydwellingadultsinjapanarandomisedcontrolledtrial
AT yukailu effectofafinancialincentiveshoppingpointonincreasingthenumberofdailywalkingstepsamongcommunitydwellingadultsinjapanarandomisedcontrolledtrial
AT shinobando effectofafinancialincentiveshoppingpointonincreasingthenumberofdailywalkingstepsamongcommunitydwellingadultsinjapanarandomisedcontrolledtrial
AT teiichiroyamazaki effectofafinancialincentiveshoppingpointonincreasingthenumberofdailywalkingstepsamongcommunitydwellingadultsinjapanarandomisedcontrolledtrial
AT tatsuiotsuka effectofafinancialincentiveshoppingpointonincreasingthenumberofdailywalkingstepsamongcommunitydwellingadultsinjapanarandomisedcontrolledtrial
AT toshimasasone effectofafinancialincentiveshoppingpointonincreasingthenumberofdailywalkingstepsamongcommunitydwellingadultsinjapanarandomisedcontrolledtrial