Examining weekly facilitated group sessions and counselor‐crafted self‐monitoring feedback on treatment outcome in digital weight control: A pilot factorial study

There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

Abstract

Objective

Weight control programs that incorporate group sessions produce greater weight losses, but this has not been explored in the context of online programs. Further, counselor‐crafted self‐monitoring feedback is a core element of lifestyle interventions, although pre‐scripted, modular feedback which does not require detailed counselor review may adequately promote weight loss. The current study explored the weight losses achieved in an online program that included facilitated group sessions, as well as outcomes when counselor‐crafted self‐monitoring feedback was provided.

Methods

A 2 × 2 pilot factorial randomized participants (90% women) with overweight/obesity ( N = 73) to facilitated group sessions (yes/no) and type of feedback (counselor‐crafted/pre‐scripted, modular) within a 16‐week online behavioral weight control program. Weight change outcomes were collected digitally. Treatment engagement and intervention delivery time were also tracked.

Results

Individuals offered weekly facilitated online group sessions lost more weight (−5.3% ± 4.9%) than those receiving the same digital program without group sessions (−3.1% ± 4.0%; p = 0.04). Those receiving group sessions also demonstrated significantly greater treatment engagement. Individuals receiving pre‐scripted, modular feedback lost significantly more weight (−5.3% ± 4.8%) than those receiving the more traditional counselor‐crafted feedback (−3.1% ± 4.1%; p = 0.04), but treatment engagement did not differ between conditions. However, interventionist time required to provide feedback was markedly lower for pre‐scripted than counselor‐crafted feedback (1.4 vs. 3.5 h per participant over 16 weeks, respectively, p = 0.01).

Conclusions

Incorporating weekly facilitated online group sessions significantly increased weight losses achieved in a digital lifestyle program. Further, pre‐scripted, modular feedback required significantly less staff time than counselor‐crafted feedback without diminishing weight losses. Thus, group sessions and pre‐scripted feedback warrant consideration when designing digital lifestyle programs.

Related collections

Most cited references 37

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin.

Paul Nathan, Elizabeth Barrett, John M. Lachin … (2002)

Type 2 diabetes affects approximately 8 percent of adults in the United States. Some risk factors--elevated plasma glucose concentrations in the fasting state and after an oral glucose load, overweight, and a sedentary lifestyle--are potentially reversible. We hypothesized that modifying these factors with a lifestyle-intervention program or the administration of metformin would prevent or delay the development of diabetes. We randomly assigned 3234 nondiabetic persons with elevated fasting and post-load plasma glucose concentrations to placebo, metformin (850 mg twice daily), or a lifestyle-modification program with the goals of at least a 7 percent weight loss and at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week. The mean age of the participants was 51 years, and the mean body-mass index (the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) was 34.0; 68 percent were women, and 45 percent were members of minority groups. The average follow-up was 2.8 years. The incidence of diabetes was 11.0, 7.8, and 4.8 cases per 100 person-years in the placebo, metformin, and lifestyle groups, respectively. The lifestyle intervention reduced the incidence by 58 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 48 to 66 percent) and metformin by 31 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 17 to 43 percent), as compared with placebo; the lifestyle intervention was significantly more effective than metformin. To prevent one case of diabetes during a period of three years, 6.9 persons would have to participate in the lifestyle-intervention program, and 13.9 would have to receive metformin. Lifestyle changes and treatment with metformin both reduced the incidence of diabetes in persons at high risk. The lifestyle intervention was more effective than metformin.

0 comments Cited 1425 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

The Look AHEAD study: a description of the lifestyle intervention and the evidence supporting it.

Thomas A. Wadden, Delia West, Linda M Delahanty … (2006)

The Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) study is a multicenter, randomized controlled trial designed to determine whether intentional weight loss reduces cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in overweight individuals with type 2 diabetes. The study began in 2001 and is scheduled to conclude in 2012. A total of 5145 participants have been randomly assigned to a lifestyle intervention or to an enhanced usual care condition (i.e., diabetes support and education). This article describes the lifestyle intervention and the empirical evidence to support it. The two principal intervention goals are to induce a mean loss >or = 7% of initial weight and to increase participants' moderately intense physical activity to > or =175 min/wk. For the first 6 months, participants attend one individual and three group sessions per month and are encouraged to replace two meals and one snack a day with liquid shakes and meal bars. From months 7 to 12, they attend one individual and two group meetings per month and continue to replace one meal per day (which is recommended for the study's duration). Starting at month 7, more intensive behavioral interventions and weight loss medication are available from a toolbox, designed to help participants with limited weight loss. In Years 2 to 4, treatment is provided mainly on an individual basis and includes at least one on-site visit per month and a second contact by telephone, mail, or e-mail. After Year 4, participants are offered monthly individual visits. The intervention is delivered by a multidisciplinary team that includes medical staff who monitor participants at risk of hypoglycemic episodes.

0 comments Cited 261 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: found

Is Open Access

Supportive Accountability: A Model for Providing Human Support to Enhance Adherence to eHealth Interventions

David Mohr, Pim Cuijpers, Kenneth Lehman (2011)

The effectiveness of and adherence to eHealth interventions is enhanced by human support. However, human support has largely not been manualized and has usually not been guided by clear models. The objective of this paper is to develop a clear theoretical model, based on relevant empirical literature, that can guide research into human support components of eHealth interventions. A review of the literature revealed little relevant information from clinical sciences. Applicable literature was drawn primarily from organizational psychology, motivation theory, and computer-mediated communication (CMC) research. We have developed a model, referred to as “Supportive Accountability.” We argue that human support increases adherence through accountability to a coach who is seen as trustworthy, benevolent, and having expertise. Accountability should involve clear, process-oriented expectations that the patient is involved in determining. Reciprocity in the relationship, through which the patient derives clear benefits, should be explicit. The effect of accountability may be moderated by patient motivation. The more intrinsically motivated patients are, the less support they likely require. The process of support is also mediated by the communications medium (eg, telephone, instant messaging, email). Different communications media each have their own potential benefits and disadvantages. We discuss the specific components of accountability, motivation, and CMC medium in detail. The proposed model is a first step toward understanding how human support enhances adherence to eHealth interventions. Each component of the proposed model is a testable hypothesis. As we develop viable human support models, these should be manualized to facilitate dissemination.

0 comments Cited 238 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

All references

Author and article information

Contributors

Delia S. West:

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4375-2785

westds@mailbox.sc.edu

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Obes Sci Pract

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Obes Sci Pract

Journal ID (doi): 10.1002/(ISSN)2055-2238

Journal ID (publisher-id): OSP4

Title: Obesity Science & Practice

Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Inc. (Hoboken )

ISSN (Electronic): 2055-2238

Publication date (Electronic): 05 January 2022

Publication date Collection: August 2022

Volume: 8

Issue: 4 ( doiID: 10.1002/osp4.v8.4 )

Pages: 433-441

Affiliations

[ ¹ ] Department of Exercise Science Arnold School of Public Health University of South Carolina Columbia South Carolina USA

[ ² ] Department of Public Health Sciences University of Virginia Charlottesville Virginia USA

[ ³ ] Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences University of Vermont Burlington Vermont USA

Author notes

[*] [* ] Correspondence

Delia S. West, Department of Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Discovery 403, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.

Email: westds@ 123456mailbox.sc.edu

Author information

Delia S. West https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4375-2785

Article

Publisher ID: OSP4585

DOI: 10.1002/osp4.585

PMC ID: 9358748

PubMed ID: 35949286

SO-VID: 12aff7ea-7f50-42ff-8318-152795d86672

License:

This is an open access article under the terms of the http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

History

Date revision received : 09 December 2021

Date received : 05 October 2021

Date accepted : 19 December 2021

Page count

Figures: 1, Tables: 3, Pages: 9, Words: 5714

Funding

Funded by: National Institutes of Health (NIH) , doi 10.13039/100000002;

Award ID: R01DK056746

Funded by: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) , doi 10.13039/100000062;

Funded by: Technology Center for Healthy Lifestyles at the University of South Carolina , doi 10.13039/100008899;

Custom metadata

source-schema-version-number 2.0

cover-date August 2022

details-of-publishers-convertor Converter:WILEY_ML3GV2_TO_JATSPMC version:6.1.7 mode:remove_FC converted:08.08.2022

Keywords: interactive group sessions,online behavioral weight control,self‐monitoring feedback

Data availability:

Keywords: interactive group sessions, online behavioral weight control, self‐monitoring feedback

Examining weekly facilitated group sessions and counselor‐crafted self‐monitoring feedback on treatment outcome in digital weight control: A pilot factorial study

Read this article at

Abstract

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Related collections

China CDC Weekly: COVID19

Most cited references 37

Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin.

The Look AHEAD study: a description of the lifestyle intervention and the evidence supporting it.

Supportive Accountability: A Model for Providing Human Support to Enhance Adherence to eHealth Interventions

Author and article information

Contributors

Journal

Affiliations

Author notes

Author information

Article

History

Page count

Funding

Categories

Custom metadata

Comments

Comment on this article

Similar content 169

Cited by 4

Most referenced authors 1,344