Impact of Loss Aversion Messaging and Anticipated Regret for Inaction on Exercise Adherence in Older Adults

Part of paid clinical trials in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Sponsor
Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Study ID
NCT07540052
Status
Not Yet Recruiting

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Conditions

  • Mobility Disability
  • Walking Difficulty

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
65 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Brief Daily At-Home Strength Training Program — BEHAVIORAL
    FAST is a brief, daily, at-home exercise program designed for older adults with difficulty walking. The program includes 5 exercises performed for 30 seconds each, during which time participants try to complete as many repetitions as they can, followed by 30 seconds of rest. The 5 exercises are: chair stands, countertop pushups, aerobic steps, resistance band rows, and walking laps. Participants are sent daily reminders and links for self-monitoring their performance.
  • Loss Aversion Messaging — BEHAVIORAL
    Loss aversion messages will be included with those messages in the experimental condition on a maximum of 3 out of the 7 days each week. There will be 3 themes (related to their performance of daily exercises) featured as topics for the loss aversion messages. The three themes are: 1) standing up from a chair (i.e., chair stands), 2) going up and down stairs (i.e., aerobic steps), and 3) walking longer distances (i.e., walking laps).
  • Standard Adherence Reminder Messaging — BEHAVIORAL
    Standard reminders to perform exercise will be delivered daily.

Study Details

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if messages focused on not losing the functional benefits of exercise can help older adults with walking difficulty continue to exercise regularly. The main questions it aims to answer are: Do these messages make people more likely to anticipate regretting it if they do not exercise? Does more anticipated regret make it more likely they will exercise more regularly? Researchers will compare two versions of messages to see if the content of these one of these message types is more effective than the other. Participants will complete a daily 5-minute at home exercise program for 4 months and complete regular online surveys to track their progress and report their feelings regarding regret.

Key Dates

Start date
Jun 30, 2026
Status verified
Apr 2026
Primary completion
Jun 30, 2027
Completion
Jul 31, 2027

Study Design

Enrollment
148 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT

Arms

  • Experimental: Loss Aversion Messaging
    Standard reminders to perform exercise will be delivered daily. Loss aversion messages will be included with those messages in the experimental condition on a maximum of 3 out of the 7 days each week. There will be 3 themes (related to their performance of daily exercises) featured as topics for the loss aversion messages. The three themes are: 1) standing up from a chair (i.e., chair stands), 2) going up and down stairs (i.e., aerobic steps), and 3) walking longer distances (i.e., walking laps).
  • Active Comparator: Standard Adherence Messaging
    Standard reminders to perform exercise will be delivered daily.

Primary Outcome Measure

Anticipated Regret of Inaction [ Time Frame: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, Week 12, and Week 16 ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
Penn State College of MedicineHersheyPennsylvania17033
Jordan D Kurth, PhD
[email protected]
(717) 531-4417

Find similar trials in Hershey, PA

By research site
Penn State College of Medicine· Hershey, PA

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