title: Effectiveness of Financial Incentives in a Worksite Diabetes Prevention Program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of financial incentive in a diabetes prevention weight loss program at worksites.
  
  
  METHODS
  Group-level randomized intervention study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four long-term care facilities, randomly assigned to "incentive-IG" or "non incentive-NIG" groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-nine employees, all overweight or obese (BMI= mean 34.8±7.4 kg/m2) and at risk for type 2 diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 16 week weight loss program (diabetes prevention program) with a 3 month follow up. IG could either choose a "standard incentive" to receive cash award when achieving the projected weight loss or to participate in a "standard plus deposit incentive" to get additional money matched with their deposit for projected weight loss. All of the participants received a one-hour consultation for a healthy weight loss at the beginning.
  
  
  METHODS
  Weight-loss, diabetes risk score (DRS), and cardiovascular risk outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Linear and logistic regressions for completed cases with adjustments for clustering effect at group level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IG lost on average more pounds (p=0.027), reduced BMI (p=0.04), and reduced in DRS (p=0.011) compared to NIG at week 16. At the 12-week follow-up period, those in IG plus deposit subgroup had twice the odds (OR=2.2, p=0.042) and those in the standard IG had three times the odds of achieving weight loss goals than NIG; those in the IG plus deposit group reduced DRS by 0.4 (p=0.045).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Monetary incentives appear to be effective in reducing weight and diabetes risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Allied Health Sciences/Health Promotion, University of Connecticut, USA.
authors.forename: Pouran D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Faghri
authors.affiliation: Division of Diabetes Translation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: Health promotion; diabetes; health behavior; incentive; obesity