Effect of a Game-Based Intervention Designed to Enhance Social Incentives to Increase Physical Activity Among Families: The BE FIT Randomized Clinical Trial
Initiatives
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To test the effectiveness of a gamification intervention designed using insights from behavioral economics to enhance social incentives within families to increase physical activity.
Note: All published information has been collected from the article referenced in the Marker Paper box below. Therefore, there may be variations with more advanced versions of the study.
- Start Year
- 2015
- End Year
- 2016
- Funding
- This study was funded by grants 1R01HL128914, 2R01HL092577, and P30AG034546 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Division of Intramural Research. The Framingham Heart Study is funded by contracts N01-HC-25195 and HHSN268201500001I from the National Institutes of Health.
Design
- Study design
- Clinical trial cohort
Marker Paper
Patel MS, Benjamin EJ, Volpp KG, et al. Effect of a Game-Based Intervention Designed to Enhance Social Incentives to Increase Physical Activity Among Families: The BE FIT Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2017;177(11):1586‐1593. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.3458
PUBMED 28973115
Recruitment
- Sources of Recruitment
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- Families
Number of participants
- Number of participants
- 200
- Number of participants with biosamples
Access
Availability of data and biosamples
| Data | |
| Biosamples | |
| Other |
Timeline
Adults enrolled in the Framingham Heart Study
Adults already enrolled in the Framingham Heart Study were eligible to participate if they were 18 years or older, had an active email address, had access to either a smartphone or computer compatible with one of the activity tracking devices, and had at least one other family member enrolled in the Framingham Heart Study who was also eligible to participate with them.
Selection Criteria
- Newborns
- Twins
- Countries
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- United States of America
- Ethnic Origin
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- Health Status
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- Other criteria
- Participants were excluded if they were already participating in a physical activity study, had been told not to exercise by a physician, were currently pregnant, or had at leas
Recruitment
- Sources of recruitment
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- Specific population
- Specific Population
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- Clinic patients
Number of participants
- Number of participants
- 200
- Number of participants with biosamples
Data Collection Event
All participants tracked daily step counts using a wearable device or a smartphone, established a baseline, selected a step goal increase, and received daily individual feedback on goal performance by text message or email for 24 weeks. Families in the gamification arm could earn points and progress through levels based on physical activity goal achievement during the 12-week intervention. The game design was meant to enhance collaboration, accountability, and peer support.
- Start Date
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2015-12
- End Date
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2016-08
- Data sources
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Mobile data collection
- Smartphone
- Smartwatch and wearables
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Mobile data collection