Incentivising adults and young people to use public transport for physical activity gain

INTERVENTION: The study has a 14 week intervention phase followed by a 24 week maintenance phase. The 14 week intervention phase allows 10 weeks for behaviour change to reach automaticity and 4 weeks for maintenance or ‘tapering off’, where contact and support is gradually withdrawn in preparation for intervention cessation.Using a ‘gain‐framed’ approach (i.e. rewarding positive behaviours), participants in the intervention group will have bus trip use targets from weeks 1‐14 which escalate over the course of the intervention so that targets become more difficult to reach but incentive values increase (weekly bus trip targets are: weeks 1‐3, one bus trip; weeks 4‐6, two bus trips; weeks 7‐9, three bus trips; week 10, four bus trips; weeks 11‐12, 3 bus trips, week 13, three bus trips, week 14, three bus trips). If the bus trip target is met, participants receive bus trip credit (through their public transport smartcard). The credit received will be commensurate with the participant’s default fare type that they were required to set when applying for their smartcard. The price range of the different fare types is $1.52 to $5.76 (a child/student fare through to an adult fare with travel across multiple zones). The maximum credit a participant can receive by the end of the 14 week intervention phase is $48.64 if travelling on a child/student fare and if travelling as an adult $184.32 as per their default fare type. Participants will be aiming to achieve a minimum of three bus trips per week by the end of the intervention. Participants will be notified by a weekly email whether they have met or have not met their target (this data is provided by the transport company, Metro, after downloading weekly trip data from the participants' smartcard), the smartcard credit they have received (if CONDITION: physical inactivity; ; physical inactivity Public Health ‐ Health promotion/education PRIMARY OUTCOME: Change in average daily step count measured by accelerometer over seven days.[T1 (Baseline), T2, Primary endpoint, (14 weeks post‐start of intervention, at intervention end), T3 (38 weeks post‐start of intervention at study end).] SECONDARY OUTCOME: Change in accelerometer measured minutes/week of physical activity intensity.[T1 (Baseline), T2 (14 weeks post‐start of intervention, at intervention end), T3 (38 weeks post start of intervention at study end).] Change in accelerometer measured minutes/week of physical activity.[T1 (Baseline), T2 (14 weeks post‐start of intervention, at intervention end), T3 (38 weeks post start of intervention at study end).] Change in accelerometer measured minutes/week of sedentary behaviour.[T1 (Baseline), T2 (14 weeks post‐start of intervention, at intervention end), T3 (38 weeks post start of intervention at study end).] Change in body mass inde Xcalculated from self‐measured height and weight, using standard measures.[T1 (Baseline), T2 (14 weeks post‐start of intervention, at intervention end), T3 (38 weeks post start of intervention at study end).] Change in measured (via Smartcard data) travel behaviour (e.g. mode (i.e.,bus), frequency and duration).[T1 (Baseline), T2 (14 weeks post‐start of intervention, at intervention end), T3 (38 weeks post start of intervention at study end).] Change in minutes/week of transport‐related physical activity derived from a simplified single‐item version of the IPAQ‐L.[T1 (Baseline), T2 (14 weeks post‐start of intervention, at intervention end), T3 (38 weeks post start of intervention at study end), and at weekly intervals through text message during the 14‐week intervention phase (T1‐T2). ; ; ] Change in perspectives on travel behaviour (e.g. enablers and barriers), using a study specific questionnaire.[T1 (Baseline), T2 (14 weeks post‐start of intervention, at intervention end), T3 (38 weeks post start of intervention at study end).] Change in self‐reported (via a travel diary over seven days ) travel behaviour (e.g. mode (e.g. motor vehicle), frequency and duration)[T1 (Baseline), T2 (14 weeks post‐start of intervention, at intervention end), T3 (38 weeks post start of intervention at study end).] Change in self‐reported commute time by different transport modes, using a study specific questionnaire.[T1 (Baseline), T2 (14 weeks post‐start of intervention, at intervention end), T3 (38 weeks post start of intervention at study end).] Change in self‐reported commute time to work/ study location, using a study specific questionnaire.[T1 (Baseline), T2 (14 weeks post‐start of intervention, at intervention end), T3 (38 weeks post start of intervention at study end).] Change in self‐reported health, using Tasmanian Population Health Survey items.[T1 (Baseline), T2 (14 weeks post‐start of intervention, at intervention end), T3 (38 weeks post start of intervention at study end).] Change in self‐reported out of pocket transport‐related expenses, using a study specific questionnaire.[T1 (Baseline), T2 (14 weeks post‐start of intervention, at intervention end), T3 (38 weeks post start of intervention at study end).] Change in self‐reported physical activity (transport, leisure, occupational, domestic, total) (mins/week) using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire – Long form (IPAQ – L) supplemented with additional questions in the study‐specific survey [T1 (Baseline), T2 (14 weeks post‐start of intervention, at intervention end), T3 (38 weeks post start of intervention at study end).] Change in self‐reported sedentary behaviour (sitting, mins/week) using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire – Long form (IPAQ – L) supplemented with additional questions in the study‐specific survey [T1 (Baseline), T2 (14 weeks post‐start of intervention, at intervention end), T3 (38 weeks post start of intervention at study end).] Change in self‐reported work productivity, using a study specific questionnaire.[T1 (Baseline), T2 (14 weeks post‐start of intervention, at intervention end), T3 (38 weeks post start of intervention at study end).] Costs incurred by the public transport provider to implement the intervention will be measured by Smartcard data and data supplied by the provider.[At trial completion. ] INCLUSION CRITERIA: Age 15+ years; resident of Tasmania; sufficient English proficiency to provide informed consent; possession of a mobile phone and active email address; ownership of or willingness to obtain a Metro Smartcard); willingness to give permission for the researchers to access Metro Smartcard data; currently making no more than five Metro bus trips/week; able to reasonably access a Metro bus service; currently making trips by motor vehicle (including motorcycle) that could be made by bus.