Obese
Conditions
Keywords
Obesity, Weight-loss, Financial Incentives, Behavioral Economics
Brief summary
Financial incentives for motivating changes in health behavior, particularly for weight loss in obese individuals, are increasingly being tested by health insurers, employers, and government agencies. However, a key unanswered question regarding weight loss is how to structure these incentive programs to maximize their effectiveness, acceptability to patients, and economic sustainability. Focusing on obese patients living in neighborhoods with a high concentration of low socioeconomic status households, the investigators will compare the impact of financial incentives for weight loss on sustained weight loss, use of evidenced-based therapy, and quality of life, and they will determine their short-term and long-term return on investment.
Detailed description
Financial incentives for motivating changes in health behavior, for weight loss in obese individuals, are increasingly being tested by health insurers, employers, and government agencies. However, a key unanswered question regarding weight loss is how to structure these incentive programs to maximize their (1) effectiveness, underscored by the fact that most programs have not resulted in significant long-term weight loss; and (2) economic sustainability, as defined by their return on investment-a major factor in public and private decision-making. Obese patients represent an important population to target for effective weight loss interventions because they suffer from a high prevalence of serious obesity-related illnesses-including diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea, and cancer-disproportionately have a low socioeconomic status, and impose $147 billion in costs on the healthcare system annually. While prior studies testing financial incentives in this population have had variable short-term success and few have yielded long-term weight loss, a fundamental question remains unanswered and may partially explain variability in weight loss outcomes: specifically, it is unknown whether goal-directed incentives (incentives for achieving evidence-based, intermediate goals that increase weight loss but are underutilized, like dietary counseling, physical activity, behavioral self-monitoring, and intensive weight management programs) or outcome-based incentives (like incentives for successfully losing weight) are more effective for promoting weight loss. Prior studies of weight loss incentives have largely emphasized only the latter. The investigators propose a three-arm randomized controlled trial that will address this important knowledge gap among obese patients living in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods, with implications for other serious chronic health conditions. Comparing goal-directed incentives to outcome-based incentives and usual care, the investigators will assess their impact on weight loss (≥5% of baseline weight), use of evidenced-based therapy, and quality of life, and evaluate their short-term and long-term return on investment.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALGoal-Directed Financial Incentives
Patients will receive financial incentives for using a food diary, verified by entries in in the BookFactory Food Diary or another food diary, including internet/app-based diaries ($30 monthly); achieving 75 minutes of physical activity per week in first three months, as verified by a wearable fitness tracker ($20 monthly); achieving 150 minutes of physical activity per week in last three months, as verified by a wearable fitness tracker ($20 monthly); enrollment in a clinic-based or commercial weight loss program ($150 one time); and active participation in clinic-based or commercial weight loss program, as verified by the program ($60 monthly).
BEHAVIORALEnhanced Usual Care
Patients will receive a food diary (BookFactory Food Diary), wearable fitness tracker (Fitbit), exercise and nutrition education materials (American Heart Association's Walking For Better Health and How to Eat Healthy), and referral information for intensive weight loss programs. This information will comprise these commercial and hospital-based weight loss programs that are evidence-based: Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig; the Veterans Administration's MOVE! and TeleMOVE! programs; Bellevue Hospital's Medical Weight Management Clinic and Intensive Nutritional Treatment programs; and New York University Langone Medical Center's Weight Management Program. We will also provide brief instructions on how to use the food diary and Fitbit Charge HR.
BEHAVIORALOutcome-based Financial Incentives
Patients will receive financial incentives for clinically significant weight loss, as confirmed at monthly weigh-ins. At 30 days, they will receive $50 if they lose ≥1.5% to \<2.5% of baseline weight or $100 if they lose ≥2.5% of baseline weight. At 2 months and 3 months, they will receive $50 if they lose ≥2.5% to \<5% of baseline weight or $100 if they lose ≥5% of baseline weight. At 4, 5, and 6 months, they will receive $100 if they lose ≥2.5% to \<5% of baseline weight or $150 if they lose ≥5% of baseline weight. To employ the behavioral economic concept of regret aversion, patients will be given feedback at each assessment point about incentives they would have received had they achieved a loss of at least 2.5% of baseline weight.
Sponsors
New York University
University of California, Los Angeles
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* English or Spanish-speaking patients * Under the care of a primary care physician at Manhattan VA, Bellevue, NYU Langone Medical Center, or Olive View-UCLA Medical Center * With obesity, based on BMI of 30 to 40 kg/m2 during a prior visit in the past 6 months * Who are between the age of 18 and 70 years * Who have an active U.S. phone number and address
Exclusion criteria
* have had weight loss ≥4.5 kg * participated in an intensive weight loss program in the past 6 mo. * abuse alcohol/other substances * have active psychosis/other cognitive issues * have history of myocardial infarction/stroke in the past 6 mo. or metastatic cancer * New York Heart Association Class III/IV heart failure * Chronic Kidney Disease stage IV/V * pregnant or breastfeeding or plan to become pregnant within subsequent 12 mo. * have history of an eating disorder/unsafe weight-loss behaviors * are unable to provide informed consent
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage of patients who achieve 5% reduction from Baseline Weight at 6 months | Baseline and 6 months | We will obtain weight measurements by weighing before eating without shoes or heavy garments using a digital scale that will be calibrated monthly. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Quality of Life Measured by EQ5-5D-5L | Baseline and 6 months | Assessed using EQ-5D-5L questionnaire. |
| Changes in Waist Circumference | Baseline, 6 Months, 9 Months and 12 Months | Measured using a standard tape measure |
| Changes in Blood Pressure | Baseline, 6 Months, 9 Months and 12 Months | Assessed using an automated sphygmomanometer |
| Change in quality of life measured by 12-Item Short Form Survey (Version 2). | Baseline and 6 months | Assessed using SF-12v2 survey. |
| Short term return on investment of using financial incentives to promote weight loss | 9 months | Cost analysis involving hospital utilization data, electronic health records, patient reported healthcare utilization, and micro-simulation modeling. |
| Long term return on investment of using financial incentives to promote weight loss | 12 months | Cost analysis involving hospital utilization data, electronic health records, patient reported healthcare utilization, and micro-simulation modeling. |
| Use of evidenced-based weight loss programs assessed by documentation of enrollment. | 6 months | Patients will have the option to either (1) provide consent for the investigators to contact and confirm enrollment and participation in evidence-based, commercial weight loss programs, or (2) procure documentation to confirm enrollment and participation. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed