Assessment of Parents’ Preferences for Incentives to Promote Engagement in Family-Based Childhood Obesity Treatment

Key Points Question What is the parent-preferred structure of financial incentive programs for promoting engagement in family-based childhood obesity treatment? Findings In this survey study of 304 parents of children with obesity, participants chose incentives that offered higher payments but were willing to accept lower amounts if the incentives used positive reinforcement, targeted both parents and children, and rewarded physical activity. Meaning Participant preferences conflict with family-based childhood obesity treatment best practices as well as behavioral economic best practices for incentivizing behavior change; if incentives are unacceptable to their target populations, it could hinder program uptake and reduce participant self-efficacy.