Impact of Using Self-monitoring Smartphone Applications on College Students' Well-being
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Sponsor
- University of Michigan
- Enrollment
- 200
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Eating Disorder Risk
Study Overview
Brief Summary
College women are at risk for eating disorders, which have profound health impacts. Cross-sectional studies have shown that the use of dietary self-monitoring is associated with eating disorder risk among college students. However, causality cannot be established with cross-sectional studies.
This study utilizes a randomized controlled trial design to examine how the use of a popular dietary self-monitoring smartphone application impacts college females' well-being, including eating disorder risk. We hypothesize those who are randomized to dietary self-monitoring will have a greater increase in eating disorder risk compared to the control group.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Other
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to — (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •University of Michigan Ann Arbor undergraduate student
- •Daily access to a smartphone
- •Female gender
- •At least 18 years of age
- •Fluent in English
Exclusion Criteria
- •Self-reported history of any medical condition that impacts the types or amount of food eaten
- •Self-reported recent use of dietary self-monitoring
- •Self-reported history of an active or past eating disorder
- •Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire Short Form (EDE-QS) score ≥ 2, indicating high eating disorder risk
Arms & Interventions
Intervention
Participants are instructed to use a popular dietary self-monitoring application on their smartphone for one month.
Intervention: Dietary self-monitoring (Other)
Control
Participants are not asked to use the smartphone application.
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Eating Disorder Risk
Time Frame: 30 days
Eating disorder risk will be measured on a survey via the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire Short Form (EDE-QS). The EDE-QS is a validated 12 question scale. Each question has a score range 0-3, and the average of all scores is the overall score. A higher score indicates higher risk.
Secondary Outcomes
- Weight perception(30 days)
- Dietary Intake(30 days)
- Weight Stigma(30 days)
- Weight(30 days)
- Anxiety(30 days)
- Physical Activity(30 days)
- Weight-Related Self-Monitoring(30 days)
- Body Image(30 days)
- Depression Symptoms(30 days)
- Body changing intentions(30 days)
- Social Media Use(30 days)
- Subjective Quality of Life(30 days)
Investigators
Samantha Hahn
PhD Candidate
University of Michigan