title: Physical activity loyalty cards for behavior change: a quasi-experimental study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Financial incentives have been advocated by the UK and U.S. governments to encourage adoption of healthy lifestyles. However, evidence to support the use of incentives for changing physical activity (PA) behavior is sparse.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effectiveness of financial incentives to increase PA in adults in the workplace.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two-arm quasi-experimental design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Employees (n=406) in a workplace setting in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a loyalty card to collect points and earn rewards, participants (n=199) in the Incentive Group monitored their PA levels and received financial incentives (retail vouchers) for minutes of PA completed over the course of a 12-week intervention period. Participants (n=207) in the comparison group used their loyalty card to self-monitor their PA levels but were not able to earn points or obtain incentives (No Incentive Group).
  
  
  METHODS
  The primary outcome was minutes of PA objectively measured using a novel PA tracking system at baseline (April 2011); Week 6 (June 2011); and Week 12 (July 2011). Other outcomes, including a self-report measure of PA, were collected at baseline, Week 12, and 6 months (October 2011). Data were analyzed in June 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences between groups were found for primary or secondary outcomes at the 12-week and 6-month assessments. Participants in the Incentive Group recorded 17.52 minutes of PA/week (95% CI=12.49, 22.56) compared to 16.63 minutes/week (95% CI=11.76, 21.51) in the No Incentive Group at Week 12 (p=0.59). At 6 months, participants in the Incentive Group recorded 26.18 minutes of PA/week (95% CI=20.06, 32.29) compared to 24.00 minutes/week (95% CI=17.45, 30.54) in the No Incentive Group (p=0.45).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Financial incentives did not encourage participants to undertake more PA than self-monitoring PA. This study contributes to the evidence base and has important implications for increasing participation in physical activity and fostering links with the business sector.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Institute of Clinical Sciences B, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom; UKCRC Centre of Excellence for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Institute of Clinical Sciences B, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. Electronic address: ruth.hunter@qub.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Ruth F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.affiliation: Centre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Institute of Clinical Sciences B, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom; UKCRC Centre of Excellence for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Institute of Clinical Sciences B, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Tully
authors.affiliation: Centre for Secure Information Technologies, Queen's University Belfast, Institute of Clinical Sciences B, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Centre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Institute of Clinical Sciences B, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Institute of Clinical Sciences B, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom; UKCRC Centre of Excellence for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Institute of Clinical Sciences B, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009043:Motor Activity; D009660:Northern Ireland; D012201:Reward; D013997:Time Factors; D017132:Workplace