Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0001-2930-2390

Semester

Fall

Date of Graduation

2023

Document Type

Thesis

Committee Chair

Kathryn Kestner

Committee Member

Claire St. Peter

Committee Member

Kevin Larkin

Abstract

Physical inactivity amongst adults in the United States is increasing. In West Virginia, 28.5% of adults 18 years of age or older report not engaging in leisure-time physical activity (West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Health Statistics Center, 2020). Physical inactivity costs $117 billion annually in health-related expenses in the United States and is associated with 10% of premature deaths (Department of Health and Human Services, 2018). As the number of physically inactive adults increases, it is important to find interventions that increase physical activity. Behavioral interventions, such as contingency management and group contingencies, have been employed to help people meet health-related goals, including increased physical activity. Using a reversal design embedded in a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design, the present study examined effects of an interdependent group contingency on physical activity in adults. Teams of sedentary adults wore Fitbits to track steps. During baseline phases, participants were not given step goals or incentives. During intervention phases, participants were provided individualized step-based goals and able to earn monetary incentives based on their team’s performance; monetary incentives were awarded if all teammates reached their daily step goal at least 5 out of 7 days. Weekly median step counts were higher during intervention phases compared to baseline phases for some intervention phases for some participants. Four of nine participants met all, or all but one, weekly step goals, and five participants missed two or more weekly step goals. The interdependent group contingency was met for 88.89%, 66.67%, 25.55%, and 66.67% of weeks across teams.

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