Patient ComplianceNCT07555262
Reminder Strategies to Improve Meal-Logging Adherence
A study testing Loss-Framed Reminder, Logging Consistency Reminder and Neutral Reminder in people with Patient Compliance and Mobile Applications, run by University of St.Gallen at 1 site in Switzerland.
Trial summary
This study is a single-center micro-randomized trial, aiming to examine the effects of two theory-driven reminder strategies on adherence to repeated, image-based meal logging in adults age 45 and older. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 45 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Patient Compliance, Mobile Applications, Reminder Systems
- What is being tested?
- Loss-Framed Reminder, Logging Consistency Reminder and Neutral Reminder
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 200 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSwitzerland
- Study dates
- 8 Dec 2025to Jan 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 45 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Citizens or residents of Switzerland who are German-speaking (main place of living or employment in Switzerland).
- Age ≥45 years.
- BMI ≥25 kg/m² (overweight or obese).
- Regular access to a smartphone (iOS or Android) with a data plan.
- Able to use smartphone applications.
- Able to walk independently.
Who cannot join
- History of stroke, heart disease, renal failure, cancer, or diabetes (type 1 or type 2).
- Past vascular bypass surgery or angioplasty.
- Current or planned use of glucose-lowering medications during the upcoming 4 weeks (e.g., GLP-1 receptor agonists, metformin).
- Pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Relevant skin conditions at wearable placement sites (e.g., upper arm).
- BMI <25 kg/m² confirmed at enrollment.
- FPG ≥7.0 mmol/L and/or HbA1c ≥6.5% (newly identified type 2 diabetes); Individuals who meet type-2 diabetes criteria at enrollment, based on Swiss/ADA diagnostic criteria will be informed of blood test results and referred to a GP. These individuals will be deemed ineligible and excluded from the study.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Switzerland1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
HOCH Health and School of Medicine, University of St. Gallen
Sankt Gallen, Canton of St. Gallen, 9000
Mia Jovanova, Dr., +41 44 632 05 41, mia.jovanova@unisg.ch
Tobias Kowatsch, Prof.Dr.
About this study
This study is a single-center micro-randomized trial, aiming to examine the effects of two theory-driven reminder strategies on adherence to repeated, image-based meal logging in adults age 45 and older. Three times daily, participants are automatically randomized to receive one of three reminder messages prior to each habitual mealtime. The main research questions the trial aims to answer are:
- Do loss-framed reminders (emphasizing loss of a daily financial reward for not logging) increase meal logging adherence in the two hours following a reminder, compared to a neutral reminder?
- Do logging consistency reminders (providing feedback on recent logging streaks) increase meal logging adherence in the two hours following a reminder, compared to a neutral reminder?
- Do the effects of loss-framed and logging consistency reminders differ from each other?
Read more
Primary aim: To estimate the proximal effect of each reminder type on whether a participant logs a meal within two hours of receiving a reminder.
Secondary aim: To examine whether within-person physiological patterns (e.g., heart rate variation) moderate response to reminders, with the goal of identifying physiological markers of receptivity to behavioral prompts.
The trial aims to enroll 200 adults aged 45 and older. Participants attend a baseline visit for onboarding, consent, and device setup, followed by a 28 day remote intervention period during which they should photograph their meals three times daily (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and wear a smartwatch and smart ring continuously. Prior to each mealtime, they receive an automatically randomized reminder message. Participants earn a daily financial reward contingent on completing meal logging for that day.
Note: This trial was registered retrospectively as enrollment began prior to registration. However, registration was completed before data collection was finished and before any data analysis was conducted.
- Conditions
- Patient Compliance, Mobile Applications, Reminder Systems
- Being tested
- Loss-Framed Reminder, Logging Consistency Reminder, Neutral Reminder
- Keywords
- micro-randomized trial, adherence
- Medical subject headings
- Patient Compliance
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Loss-Framed ReminderBehavioural
Push notification emphasizing loss of daily financial reward for not logging the upcoming meal.
Logging Consistency ReminderBehavioural
Push notification providing feedback on recent meal logging streak.
Neutral ReminderBehavioural
Push notification reminding participants to log a meal.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Loss-Framed Reminder | Experimental | A push notification emphasizing the loss of a daily financial reward for not logging the upcoming meal. Assigned with 1/3 probability at each decision point. Receives: Behavioral: Loss-Framed Reminder |
| Logging Consistency Reminder | Experimental | A push notification providing feedback on the participant's recent meal logging streak. Assigned with 1/3 probability at each decision point. Receives: Behavioral: Logging Consistency Reminder |
| Neutral Reminder (Active Control) | Active comparator | A push notification reminding the participant to log a meal without loss-framing or consistency feedback. Serves as the reference condition against which the two experimental reminders are compared. Assigned with 1/3 probability at each decision point. Receives: Behavioral: Neutral Reminder |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Meal Logging Adherence
Proportion of decision points at which a participant logs a meal within 2 hours of receiving a reminder, compared across reminder types (loss-framed, logging consistency, and neutral control).
Measured: Within 2 hours of each decision point, assessed over 28 days
Secondary outcomes (1)
Moderators of Reminder Responsiveness
Meal logging adherence (binary, within 2 hours of a decision point) examined as a function of participant-level moderators including physiological (e.g., heart rate variability), demographic (e.g., age, sex), and behavioral characteristics, to identify moderators of differential responsiveness to reminder types.
Measured: Assessed over 28 days
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted29 Apr 2026
- Study start8 Dec 2025
- Primary completionJan 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionJan 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Patient ComplianceStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Sequential
- Model description
- Micro-randomized trial (MRT). Participants are randomized independently at each decision point (prior to each of 3 daily mealtimes) over 28 days, resulting in up to 84 randomizations per participant. At each decision point, participants are assigned with equal probability to one of three reminder conditions: loss-framed, logging consistency, or neutral control.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 200 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of St.Gallen
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07555262
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- GLOWUP-MRT
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 21 Apr 2026
- Last updated
- 5 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 5 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Reminder Strategies to Improve Meal-Logging Adherence
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07555262
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- GLOWUP-MRT
- Conditions
- Patient Compliance, Mobile Applications, Reminder Systems
- Keywords
- micro-randomized trial, adherence
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 200 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of St.GallenUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 8 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Jan 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Jan 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 29 Apr 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study is a single-center micro-randomized trial, aiming to examine the effects of two theory-driven reminder strategies on adherence to repeated, image-based meal logging in adults age 45 and older. Three times daily, participants are automatically randomized to receive one of three reminder messages prior to each habitual mealtime. The main research questions the trial aims to answer are:
- Do loss-framed reminders (emphasizing loss of a daily financial reward for not logging) increase meal logging adherence in the two hours following a reminder, compared to a neutral reminder?
- Do logging consistency reminders (providing feedback on recent logging streaks) increase meal logging adherence in the two hours following a reminder, compared to a neutral reminder?
- Do the effects of loss-framed and logging consistency reminders differ from each other?
Primary aim: To estimate the proximal effect of each reminder type on whether a participant logs a meal within two hours of receiving a reminder.
Secondary aim: To examine whether within-person physiological patterns (e.g., heart rate variation) moderate response to reminders, with the goal of identifying physiological markers of receptivity to behavioral prompts.
The trial aims to enroll 200 adults aged 45 and older. Participants attend a baseline visit for onboarding, consent, and device setup, followed by a 28 day remote intervention period during which they should photograph their meals three times daily (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and wear a smartwatch and smart ring continuously. Prior to each mealtime, they receive an automatically randomized reminder message. Participants earn a daily financial reward contingent on completing meal logging for that day.
Note: This trial was registered retrospectively as enrollment began prior to registration. However, registration was completed before data collection was finished and before any data analysis was conducted.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Sequential
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 3
- Model description
- Micro-randomized trial (MRT). Participants are randomized independently at each decision point (prior to each of 3 daily mealtimes) over 28 days, resulting in up to 84 randomizations per participant. At each decision point, participants are assigned with equal probability to one of three reminder conditions: loss-framed, logging consistency, or neutral control.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Loss-Framed Reminder | Experimental | Behavioral: Loss-Framed ReminderA push notification emphasizing the loss of a daily financial reward for not logging the upcoming meal. Assigned with 1/3 probability at each decision point. |
| Logging Consistency Reminder | Experimental | Behavioral: Logging Consistency ReminderA push notification providing feedback on the participant's recent meal logging streak. Assigned with 1/3 probability at each decision point. |
| Neutral Reminder (Active Control) | Active comparator | Behavioral: Neutral ReminderA push notification reminding the participant to log a meal without loss-framing or consistency feedback. Serves as the reference condition against which the two experimental reminders are compared. Assigned with 1/3 probability at each decision point. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 45 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Citizens or residents of Switzerland who are German-speaking (main place of living or employment in Switzerland).
- Age ≥45 years.
- BMI ≥25 kg/m² (overweight or obese).
- Regular access to a smartphone (iOS or Android) with a data plan.
- Able to use smartphone applications.
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- History of stroke, heart disease, renal failure, cancer, or diabetes (type 1 or type 2).
- Past vascular bypass surgery or angioplasty.
- Current or planned use of glucose-lowering medications during the upcoming 4 weeks (e.g., GLP-1 receptor agonists, metformin).
- Pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Relevant skin conditions at wearable placement sites (e.g., upper arm).
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Loss-Framed ReminderPush notification emphasizing loss of daily financial reward for not logging the upcoming meal. | Behavioural | Loss-Framed Reminder |
| Logging Consistency ReminderPush notification providing feedback on recent meal logging streak. | Behavioural | Logging Consistency Reminder |
| Neutral ReminderPush notification reminding participants to log a meal. | Behavioural | Neutral Reminder (Active Control) |
Primary outcome
Meal Logging Adherence
Time frame: Within 2 hours of each decision point, assessed over 28 days
Proportion of decision points at which a participant logs a meal within 2 hours of receiving a reminder, compared across reminder types (loss-framed, logging consistency, and neutral control).
1 secondary outcome
Moderators of Reminder Responsiveness
Time frame: Assessed over 28 days
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 5 May 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Loss-Framed Reminder, Logging Consistency Reminder and Neutral Reminder in people with Patient Compliance and Mobile Applications, run by University of St.Gallen at 1 site in Switzerland.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 5 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Switzerland. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Mia Jovanova, Dr. (+41 44 632 05 41, mia.jovanova@unisg.ch), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Meal Logging Adherence (time frame: Within 2 hours of each decision point, assessed over 28 days). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 5 May 2026.