Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T14:33:24.593Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Contingency Management to Induce Exercise Among College Students

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 April 2013

Jessica G. Irons ,
Derek A. Pope ,
Allyson E. Pierce ,
Ryan A. Van Patten  and
Brantley P. Jarvis
Jessica G. Irons*
Affiliation:
James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA
Derek A. Pope
Affiliation:
Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
Allyson E. Pierce
Affiliation:
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
Ryan A. Van Patten
Affiliation:
James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA
Brantley P. Jarvis
Affiliation:
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
*
Address for correspondence: Jessica G. Irons, MSC 7704 Department of Psychology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22801, USA. Email: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Objective: The effects of contingency management to induce physical activity levels were examined in seven non-obese physically inactive undergraduate students by providing monetary payments using a multiple baseline, changing-criterion procedure. Methods: Participants attended a baseline phase, a subsequent intervention phase consisting of three exercise sessions per week for 4 weeks, and a follow-up session 2 weeks post intervention. A total of $145 was available for attendance and exercise contingency payments. Results: Results indicate that all participants significantly increased exercise during intervention from inactivity at baseline to exercising three 30-minute sessions per week. Participants maintained some gains during follow-up. Limitations: The study employed a small and homogenous sample size and required participants to exercise in a lab setting thus limiting external validity. Conclusions: These findings suggest that incentive-based interventions are an effective and viable means for inducing exercise.

Keywords

contingency managementphysical activityexercisehealth risk interventioncollege studentsobesity
Type
Standard Papers
Information
Behaviour Change , Volume 30 , Issue 2 , June 2013 , pp. 84 - 95
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2013

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American College of Sports Medicine. (1990). Position statement on the recommended quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining fitness in health adults. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 22, 265–274.Google Scholar
American Heart Association. (2011). Physical Activity and Blood Pressure. Retrieved from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/PreventionTreatmentofHighBloodPressure/Physical-Activity-and-Blood-Pressure_UCM_301882_Article.jspGoogle Scholar
Andersen, R.E. (1999). Exercise, an active lifestyle and obesity. The Physician and Sport Medicine, 27 (10), 41–48.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bickel, W.K., & Vuchinich, R.E. (2000). Reframing health behavior change with behavioral economics. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brownell, K.D. (1995). Exercise in the Treatment of Obesity. In Brownell, K.D. & Fairburn, C.D. (Eds), Eating disorders and obesity: A comprehensive handbook (pp. 473–478). New York City, Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Buckworth, J., & Nigg, C. (2004). Physical activity, exercise and sedentary behavior in college students. The Journal of American College Health, 53 (1), 28–34. doi:10.3200/JACH.53.1.28-34CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Caspersen, C.J., Powell, K.E., & Christenson, G.M. (1985). Physical activity, exercise, and physical fitness: Definitions and distinctions for health-related research. Public Health Reports, 100 (2), 126–131.Google ScholarPubMed
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2001). Prevalence of Sedentary Lifestyles. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00021313.htmGoogle Scholar
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2003). Prevalence of physical activity, including lifestyle activities among adults — United States, 2000–2001. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 52 (32), 764–769.Google Scholar
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2009). Overweight and obesity, childhood overweight and obesity. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/index.htmlGoogle Scholar
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2012). Overweight and obesity. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/index.htmlGoogle Scholar
Charness, G.B., & Gneezy, U. (2008). Incentives to exercise. UC Santa Barbara: Department of Economics, UCSB. Retrieved from: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/3tc3j5×7.Google Scholar
Cohen, S.L., Paradis, C., & Lemura, L.M. (2007). The effects of contingent-monetary reinforcement and music on exercise in college students. Journal of Sport and Behavior, 30 (2), 146–160.Google Scholar
Dallery, J., Glenn, I.M., & Raiff, B.R. (2007). An internet-based abstinence reinforcement treatment for cigarette smoking. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 86 (2–3), 230–238. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2006.06.013CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dallery, J. & Raiff, B.R. (2011). Contingency management in the 21st century: Technological innovations to promote smoking cessation. Substance Use & Misuse, 46 (1), 10–22. doi: 10.3109/10826084.2011.521067CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Defulio, A., Donlin, W.D., Wong, C.J., & Silverman, K. (2009). Employment-based abstinence reinforcement as a maintenance intervention for the treatment of cocaine dependence: A randomized controlled trial. Addiction, 104 (9), 1530–1538. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02657.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dishman, R.K. (1991). Increasing and maintaining exercise and physical activity. Behavior Therapy, 22, 345–378. doi:10.1016/S0005-7894(05)80371-5CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dutra, L., Stathopoulou, G., Basden, S.L., Leyro, T.M., Powers, M.B., & Otto, M.W. (2008). A meta-analytic review of psychosocial interventions for substance use disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 165, 179–187. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2007.06111851CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Epstein, L.H., Saelens, B.E., Myers, M.D., & Vito, D. (1997). Effects of decreasing sedentary behaviors on activity choice in obese children. Health Psychology, 16 (2), 107–113. doi: 10.1037/0278-6133.16.2.107CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gorgan, E. (2009, July 13). Kids cheat on exercise study, put pedometer on dogs. Softpedia. Retrieved September 5, 2011, from http://news.softpedia.com/news/Kids-Cheat-on-Exercise-Study-Put-Pedometer-on-Dogs-116553.shtmlGoogle Scholar
Higgins, S.T., Heil, S.H., & Lussier, J.P. (2003). Clinical implications of reinforcement as a determinant of substance use disorders. Annual Review of Psychology, 6, 431–461.Google Scholar
Hill, J.O., & Wyatt, H. (2002). Outpatient management of obesity: A primary care perspective. Obesity Research, 10, 124–130. doi:10.1038/oby.2002.205CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hill, J. (2004). Physical activity and obesity. Lancet, 363, 182. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(03)15368-8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hopkins, M., King, N.A., & Blundell, J.E. (2010). Acute and long-term effects of exercise on appetite control: Is there any benefit for weight control?. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care, 13 (6), 635–640. doi:10.1097/MCO.0b013e32833e343bCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
John, L.K., Loewenstein, G., Troxel, A.B., Norton, L., Fassbender, J.E., & Volpp, K.G. (2011). Financial incentives for extended weight loss: A randomized, controlled trial. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 26 (6), 621–626. doi:10.1007/s11606-010-1628-yCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kayman, S., Bruvold, W., & Stern, J.S. (1990). Maintenance and relapse after weight loss in women: Behavioral aspects. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 52 (5), 800–807.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Keeler, E.B., Manning, W.G., Newhouse, J. P., Sloss, E.M., & Wasserman, J. (1989). The external costs of a sedentary life-style. American Journal of Public Health, 79 (8), 975–981.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lamb, R.J., Kirby, K.C., Morral, A.R., Galbicka, G., & Iguchi, M.Y. (2010) Shaping smoking cessation in hard-to-treat smokers. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78 (1), 62–71. doi:10.1037/a0018323CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ledgerwood, D.M., Alessi, S.M., Hanson, T., Godley, M.D., & Petry, N.M. (2008). Contingency management for attendance to group substance abuse treatment administered by clinicians in community clinics. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 41 (4), 517–526. doi:10.1901/jaba.2008.41-517CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lee, C.D., Blair, S.N., & Jackson, A.S. (1999). Cardio respiratory fitness, body composition, and all cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in men. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 69 (3), 373–380.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Libb, J.W., & Clements, C.B. (1969). Token reinforcement in an exercise program for hospitalized geriatric patients. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 28 (3), 957–958. doi:10.2466/pms.1969.28.3.957CrossRefGoogle Scholar
National Institutes of Health. (2000). The practical guide: Identification, evaluation, and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults. Retrieved from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/prctgd_c.pdfGoogle Scholar
PaffenbargerR.S., Jr. R.S., Jr., Hyde, R.T., Wing, A.L., Lee, I.M., Jung, D.L., & Kampert, J.B. (1993). The association of changes in physical-activity level and other lifestyle characteristics with mortality among men. The New England Journal of Medicine, 328, 538–545. doi:10.1056/NEJM199302253280804CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Petry, N.M. (2000). A comprehensive guide to the application of contingency management procedures in clinical settings. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 58, 9–25. doi:10.1016/S0376-8716(99)00071-XCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reilly, M.P., Roll, J.M., & Downey, K.K. (2000). Impulsivity and voucher versus money preference in polydrug-dependent participants enrolled in a contingency-management-based substance abuse treatment program. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 19 (3)253–257. doi:10.1016/S0740-5472(00)00105-7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rosen, M.I., Dieckhaus, K., McMahon, T.J., Valdes, B., Petry, N.M., Cramer, J., & Rounsaville, B. (2007). Improved adherence with contingency management. Aids Patient Care and STDs, 21 (1), 30–40. doi:10.1089/apc.2006.0028CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smits, J.A.J., Berry, A.C., Rosenfield, D., Powers, M.B., Behar, E., & Otto, M.W. (2008). Reducing anxiety sensitivity with exercise. Depression and Anxiety, 25 (8), 689–699. doi:10.1002/da.20411CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stitzer, M., & Petry, N. (2006). Contingency management for treatment of substance abuse. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 2, 411–434. doi: 10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.2.022305.095219CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sturm, R. (2005). Economics and physical activity: Aresearch agenda. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 28 (2), 141–149. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2004.10.021CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taggart, A.C., Taggart, J., & Siedentop, D. (1986). Effects of a home-based activity program: A study with low fitness elementary school children. Behavior Modification, 10 (4), 487–507. doi:10.1177/01454455860104007CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). (2010). Dietary guidelines for Americans, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DGAs2010-PolicyDocument.htmGoogle Scholar
United States Department of Health and Human Services. (2008). Physical activity guidelines for Americans. Retrieved from http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/guidelines/default.aspx#tocGoogle Scholar
Volpp, K.G., John, L.K., Troxel, A.B., Norton, L., Fassbender, J., & Loewenstein, G. (2008). Financial incentive based approach for weight loss: A randomized trial. Journal of the American Medical Association, 300 (22), 2631–2637. doi:10.1001/jama.2008.804CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Walsh, J. M., Pressman, A. R., & Cauley, J. A. (2001). Predictors of physical activity in community-dwelling elderly white women. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 16, 721–727. doi:10.1111/j.1525-1497.2001.00506.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weinstock, J., Barry, D., & Petry, N.M. (2008). Exercise-related activities are associated with positive outcome in contingency management treatment for substance use disorders. Addictive Behaviors, 33, 1072–1075. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2008.03.011CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed