An interventional study of Email message regarding the HealthyFood benefit in Diabetes, Diet and Incentives, sponsored by University of Pennsylvania. Completed. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2018-11-09.
Sponsored by University of Pennsylvania · Not applicable, Interventional, and Health services research
The Vitality HealthyFood benefit is a three-tiered incentive program designed to encourage healthier food choices amongst members of Discovery Health's Vitality program. Once enrolled in the benefit, participating members can receive 10%, 15%, or 25% cash-back on the healthy foods they purchase at selected grocers. And, while overall enrollment in the program is high, there is particular interest in increasing enrollment in the benefit amongst Vitality members with diabetes. One presumed barrier to enrollment in the benefit amongst members with diabetes is a misperception of the particular relevance of the benefit and healthier food choices for their personal health. Improved messaging regarding the HealthyFood benefit and its particular salience for individuals with diabetes may be an effective means of increasing activation of the benefit in this population. The proposed study will be a collaboration between Discovery Health/Vitality and researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. In the proposed RCT, Vitality members with diabetes will be randomised to different types of messages regarding the HealthyFood benefit. The investigators will then compare the effectiveness of these different messaging strategies at increasing activation of the HealthyFood benefit amongst Vitality members with diabetes.
10,925 studies on the registry are indexed under Diabetes Mellitus; 1,319 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 5,467 is above the median of 80 across 8,367 interventional studies indexed under Diabetes Mellitus.
Browse Diabetes Mellitus studies →University of Pennsylvania is the lead sponsor of 1,635 studies on the registry; 239 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
This arm will represent current practice. This group will receive no contact from the research team. They may receive information regarding the benefit from the Vitality marketing team during the intervention period and can enroll in the benefit at any time during the study period.
This group will receive a message which simply cites the two specific benefits of the eating more healthy foods for individuals with diabetes. This message contains a link to start the enrolment process.
Other: Email message regarding the HealthyFood benefit
This group will receive a message that includes a quote from the perspective of a Vitality member with diabetes who uses the HealthyFood benefit. Given the need to standardise message content across study arms, the quote was written by the study team and not an actual member. The quote emphasizes the positive impact the benefit has had for the member-both the financial benefit, as well as the two specific diabetes health benefits.
Other: Email message regarding the HealthyFood benefit
This group will receive a message that includes a quote from a South African physician who specializes in diabetes. The quote emphasises the financial benefit and the two specific diabetes health benefits of the HealthyFood program included in the other messages. It concludes with the doctor's recommendation of the benefit for all individuals with diabetes.
Other: Email message regarding the HealthyFood benefit
This group will receive a message whose first portion is identical to those in the diabetes-specific message group. The second portion of the message differs in that instead of just asking recipients to click on the provided link if interested, the message asks people to choose and click on one of following possible responses: 1. Yes! I want to active the HealthyFood benefit and get up to 25% cash back on the healthy food I buy at Pick n Pay or Woolworths 2. No, I'd prefer not to activate and continue paying full price for my healthy food purchases
Other: Email message regarding the HealthyFood benefit
Enrollment in 10% Level of Benefit
Rates of enrolment in 10% cash-back level (the most basic level, requires online activation only) of the HealthyFood Benefit amongst members with diabetes
Time frame: One month from initial emailed messages
| Milestone | Control Arm | Diabetes-specific | Experience of Another Member | Input From a Diabetes Expert | Enhanced Active Choice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Started | 791 | 793 | 812 | 752 | 758 |
| Completed | 737 | 753 | 766 | 701 | 708 |
| Not completed | 54 | 40 | 46 | 51 | 50 |
| Withdrew: Left vitality | 32 | 27 | 23 | 35 | 33 |
| Withdrew: Joined healthyfood before intervention | 22 | 13 | 23 | 16 | 17 |
Rates of enrolment in 10% cash-back level (the most basic level, requires online activation only) of the HealthyFood Benefit amongst members with diabetes
| Participants | Control Arm | Diabetes-specific | Experience of Another Member | Input From a Diabetes Expert | Enhanced Active Choice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment in 10% Level of Benefit | 7 | 57 | 76 | 48 | 89 |
Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.
| Group | Deaths | Serious | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control Arm | — | 0/737 (0%) | 0/737 (0%) |
| Diabetes-specific | — | 0/753 (0%) | 0/753 (0%) |
| Experience of Another Member | — | 0/766 (0%) | 0/766 (0%) |
| Input From a Diabetes Expert | — | 0/701 (0%) | 0/701 (0%) |
| Enhanced Active Choice | — | 0/708 (0%) | 0/708 (0%) |
| Age, Continuous(years) | Control Arm | Diabetes-specific | Experience of Another Member | Input From a Diabetes Expert | Enhanced Active Choice | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean | 55.9 ± 10.9 | 55.2 ± 10.7 | 55 ± 10.8 | 55.4 ± 10 | 56 ± 10.6 | 55.4 ± 10.6 |
| Sex/Gender, Customized(Participants) | Control Arm | Diabetes-specific | Experience of Another Member | Input From a Diabetes Expert | Enhanced Active Choice | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 145 | 152 | 152 | 134 | 146 | 729 |
No study locations are listed for this record.
This study is completed, as verified in Apr 2018. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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