Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40634247›Full record

Trial reportObesity (Silver Spring, Md.)2025

Secondary analysis of the Game of Stones trial for men with obesity: examining moderator effects and exploratory outcomes.

Stephan U Dombrowski, Pat Hoddinott, Lisa Macaulay, Catriona O'Dolan, James Swingler, Seonaidh Cotton, Alison Avenell, Abraham M Getaneh, Cindy Gray, Kate Hunt and 7 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Stephan U DombrowskiFaculty of Kinesiology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9832-2777
Pat HoddinottNursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
Lisa MacaulayNursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
Catriona O'DolanNursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
James SwinglerHealth Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2352-4324
Seonaidh CottonCentre for Healthcare Randomised Trials, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7883-0608
Alison AvenellHealth Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
Abraham M GetanehHealth Economics Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
Cindy GraySchool of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
Kate HuntInstitute for Social Marketing and Health, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
Frank KeeCentre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Alice MacLeanInstitute for Social Marketing and Health, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
Michelle C McKinleyCentre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Claire TorrensNursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
Katrina TurnerCentre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Marjon van der PolHealth Economics Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
Graeme MacLennanCentre for Healthcare Randomised Trials, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.

Funding

National Institute for Health and Care Research 129703
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe objective was to explore whether socioeconomic, health, and behavioral characteristics moderate the effectiveness of a text message intervention with or without financial incentives versus a control group and to examine differences in exploratory outcomes.

methodsThis three-group randomized trial including 585 men with obesity compared daily automated behavioral text messages alongside financial incentives, text messages alone, and a waiting list control for 12 months. Moderator analyses examined percentage weight change after 12 months for 9 socioeconomic and 11 health factors. Exploratory outcomes included the following: self-reported physical activity, sedentary behavior, smoking and alcohol behaviors, engagement in 15 weight-management strategies, and weight-management-related confidence.

resultsNo moderator effects were found by any factors for either comparison versus control. There were no differences across groups for health behaviors. The texts with incentives group had higher levels of engagement in six strategies including weight goals, food changes, and self-weighing and higher levels of confidence compared with the control.

conclusionsThe Game of Stones interventions were equally effective across various subgroups based on socioeconomic, health, or well-being status. Texts with financial incentives group participants showed better engagement for some intervention elements. The implementation of Game of Stones is unlikely to increase health inequalities. Future studies should focus on increasing engagement.

Indexed as

Health BehaviorObesityText MessagingAdultExerciseHumansMaleMiddle AgedMotivationSedentary BehaviorSocioeconomic FactorsTreatment OutcomeWeight Loss

Identifiers

PMID40634247
PMCPMC12304853

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.