Promoting Physical Activity
Among Employees
Grace Poon (HPB) and Patsy Lam (Duke-NUS)
Who Are We?
0 Health Promotion Board (HPB) and Duke-NUS Graduate
Medical School
0 Funded by the Ministry of Health
0 Study to test whether financial incentives can motivate
full-time employees to become more physically active
Background
0 4 in 10 Singaporean residents are not sufficiently
physically active – lack of time most common reason
0 Full-time employees are among the least active group
0 Inactivity increases risk of obesity and many chronic
diseases such as hypertension and diabetes
3
Our Study
0 Research shows that incentives can motivate behaviour
change, at least in the short term.
0 Test whether financial incentives can motivate full-time
employees to walk more.
0 Compare groups of employees, some who receive no
incentives with others who receive incentives for
physical activity over a 6-month period, to see which
group overall has greater levels of physical activity.
Eligibility for Participation
0 You will be eligible if you satisfy ALL of these
requirements0 You work full-time (i.e. 35+ hours of paid work) for
your company.
0 You are aged between 21 – 65 years.
0 You do not have a health condition that may prevent
you from taking part.
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Randomised Design
0 You and your colleagues will be randomly allocated into one of four
research arms (lucky draw).
0 Incentive schemes are different for each research arm.
0 Randomisation is necessary to ensure that participants sharing
particular characteristics (for example, age, sex, education levels)
do not end up belonging to the same research arm.
0 Necessary in order to attribute any changes in health outcomes to
features of the programme.
Four Research Arms
1. Control Group – Earn $4 a week for 6 months. No
physical activity goals.
2. Fitbit Only Group – Earn $4 a week for 6 months. No
physical activity goal, but will receive wireless
pedometer.
3. Cash Incentive Group – Earn cash incentives for 6
months for meeting physical activity goals.
4. Charity Incentive Group – Same as above, except that
incentives will be donated to a charity of the
participant’s choice.
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How Will We Monitor How
Much You Walk?
0 Fitbit Zip is a wireless physical activity monitor that measures
0
0
0
0
steps
Data is synced wirelessly via a USB dongle that can be plugged
into any PC or via some smartphone models (bluetooth). Syncing
stations will be set up.
Participants will receive regular updates via email or by logging
onto the Fitbit website
They can also check their history on the Fitbit website or via a
smartphone app
Control group participants will not receive Fitbit.
Fitbit Monitors Your Activity Levels
Fitbit Gives You Feedback
Physical Activity Goals and Incentives
0 Below are the incentives that participants in the cash
and charity incentive groups will receive upon meeting
step goals0 $0 for < 50,000 steps a week
0 $15 for completing 50,000 – 69,999 steps a week
0 $30 for completing ≥ 70,000 steps a week
0 Maximum number of steps that will be counted per day
for incentives is 20,000.
Overview
1. Complete an online screening questionnaire (10 min)
2. Attend a talk by Duke-NUS researchers (30 min), have biometrics taken,
sign consent form, pay enrollment fee* & pick up accelerometer (15 min)
3. Wear accelerometer for 7 days & complete a 30-min online questionnaire
4. Have accelerometer data validated, be randomized & set up Fitbit (30
mins)
5. Wear Fitbit from Months 1- 6 (unless randomised to Control arm)
6. Wear accelerometer for 7 days, complete a 30-minute online
questionnaire & have biometrics taken at Months 6 & 12
* Enrollment Fee is $30, including a $10 non-refundable fee and a $20 refundable deposit that will be returned upon programme
completion and return of Fitbit by participant.
How Much Can You Earn?
Cash
Months 1-6
(weekly payment)
Up to $780
Charity
Up to $780
Fitbit Only
Control
$104
$104
($4 per week in
cash per week
regardless of step
activity)
($4 per week in
cash per week
regardless of step
activity)
Completion of
Month 6
assessment
$25 voucher and
one in 10 chance of
winning a $50 gift
card
$25 voucher and
one in 10 chance of
winning a $50 gift
card
$25 voucher and
one in 10 chance of
winning a $50 gift
card
$25 voucher and
one in 10 chance of
winning a $50 gift
card
Completion of
Month 12
assessment
$35 in voucher and
one in 10 chance of
winning a $50
voucher
$35 in voucher and
one in 10 chance of
winning a $50
voucher
$35 in voucher and
one in 10 chance of
winning a $50
voucher
$35 in voucher and
one in 10 chance of
winning a $50
voucher
TOTAL
Up to $840 (excl.
lottery)
Up to $840 (excl.
lottery)
$164 (excl. lottery)
$164 (excl. lottery)
Is This Programme Safe?
0 Safety of participants is our priority.
0 Screening questionnaire identifies people not fit enough
to participate (answer questions truthfully).
0 Walking is low-intensity physical activity.
0 You choose the intensity / pace of your activity.
0 We do not encourage more than 20,000 steps a day.
0 No medicines or food supplements will be advised as
part of this programme.