Small Monetary Incentives Lead to Greater Adherence in a Weight Loss Program. Am J Health Promot 2024 Feb;38(2):177-185
Date
11/09/2023Pubmed ID
37943986DOI
10.1177/08901171231213160Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85176317151 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)Abstract
PURPOSE: Understand how weekly monetary incentives for dietary tracking and/or weight loss impact 6-month weight loss behavioral adherence.
DESIGN: Secondary analysis of participants randomized to one of four conditions in a behavioral weight loss intervention: incentives for dietary tracking, incentives for weight loss, both, or none.
SETTING: Participants were asked to self-weigh at least twice weekly, log food and drink in a mobile application five days weekly, and attend bi-weekly, group-based classes.
SAMPLE: Data from (n = 91) adults with obesity who completed a 24-week behavioral weight loss intervention of whom 88% were female and 74% Non-Hispanic White, were analyzed.
MEASURES: Non-adherence to weight and dietary self-monitoring was defined as the second week of not meeting criteria. Class attendance was also tracked.
ANALYSIS: Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to examine differences across the four conditions.
RESULTS: Participants incentivized for dietary self-monitoring had an average 15.8 weeks (SE:1.2) until the first non-adherent week compared to 5.9 weeks (SE:0.8) for those not incentivized for dietary self-monitoring (P < .01). Those incentivized for weight loss had an average 18.0 weeks (SE:1.02) of self-weighing until the first non-adherent week compared to 13.5 weeks (SE:1.3) for those not incentivized for weight loss (P = .02). No difference in class attendance was observed.
CONCLUSIONS: Incentivizing behaviors associated with weight loss improved adherence to those behaviors and does not appear to spill over to non-incentivized behaviors.
Author List
Shetty A, Yang Q, Pendergast J, Leverson G, Shaw R, Voils CI, Gavin KLAuthor
Kara L. Gavin Research Scientist II in the Center for Advancing Population Science department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AdultBehavior Therapy
Diet
Female
Humans
Male
Motivation
Obesity
Weight Reduction Programs
