Feasibility Trial of a Problem-Solving Weight Loss Mobile Application

Not Applicable

Completed

Conditions: Obesity
Weight Loss

Interventions: Behavioral: Diabetes Prevention Program Lifestyle Intervention

Registration Number: NCT02192905

Lead Sponsor: University of Connecticut

Brief Summary: The purpose of this research was to develop and test the feasibility of Habit, a weight loss mobile application that was designed to coach patients through their weight loss challenges. In a pilot trial in 43 obese participants, investigators tested the feasibility of the Smart Coach mobile application when paired with a shortened online-delivered (8-week) behavioral weight loss intervention. Feasibility outcomes included frequency and duration of usage of the mobile app and each feature, recruitment, and retention. Post-intervention focus groups discussed the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. The investigators also performed exploratory analyses comparing conditions on problem solving skills and weight loss at 8 and 16 weeks, which will inform a subsequent randomized controlled efficacy trial.

Detailed Description: The investigators developed and tested the feasibility of Habit, a weight loss mobile app that includes common features such as self-monitoring, goal setting, and a social network, but even more importantly, an avatar-facilitated, idiographic problem solving feature that processes information intelligently to help patients identify solutions to their weight loss problems. In a pilot trial in 43 obese participants, investigators tested the feasibility of the Habit mobile application when paired with a shortened (8 week) behavioral weight loss intervention. Feasibility outcomes included frequency and duration of usage of the mobile app and each feature, recruitment, and retention. The investigators also performed analyses on problem solving skills and weight loss at 8 and 16 weeks, which will inform a subsequent randomized controlled efficacy trial. Data will support an efficacy trial of a Habit-assisted brief behavioral weight loss intervention relative to a brief behavioral weight loss intervention alone with 1 year follow-up. The investigators overarching goal is to develop mobile technology that reduces the intensity of lifestyle interventions as far as possible while preserving weight loss outcomes, to ultimately broaden reach.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 45

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Behavioral Weight Loss + Habit	Diabetes Prevention Program Lifestyle Intervention	Participants will receive 8 week of an online-delivered weight loss intervention adapted from the Diabetes Prevention Program Lifestyle Intervention and will use the Habit mobile app during the study.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Feasibility (Total Uses)	8-week follow-up	Mean total uses of the problem solving function of the mobile application
Feasibility (Total Habits Attempted)	8-week follow-up	Total amount of new habits attempted during the study
Feasibility (Recruitment Rates)	Baseline	Recruitment rates include the total number of participants contacting us to participate, which includes the intervention participants plus those screened out prior to starting the intervention (Total screened = 559; Total intervention participants = 43)
Feasibility (Retention Rates)	8-weeks	Total attendance at groups and total withdrawn from the study

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
% Weight Change	16 week follow-up	Measured in pounds with a digital scale
Problem Solving Inventory	8-week follow-up	The social problem solving inventory measures strengths and weaknesses in ability to solve problems in all areas of life. The measure includes sub scales (positive problem orientation, rational problem-solving, negative problem orientation, impulsivity/carelessness style, and avoidance style). The means of the subscales are summed and then matched against an age chart to achieve the total score for the age being studied. This is done for each participant. The scoring range is 28 to 140. The higher the score the higher the problem solving ability.The change from baseline to 8-weeks is calculated by subtracting the baseline score from the 8 week score and then doing a 1-sample t-test of whether or not the change was different than 0.
Social Problem Solving Inventory	16-week follow-up	The social problem solving inventory measures strengths and weaknesses in ability to solve problems in all areas of life. The measure includes sub scales (positive problem orientation, rational problem-solving, negative problem orientation, impulsivity/carelessness style, and avoidance style). The means of the subscales are summed and then matched against an age chart to achieve the total score for the age being studied. This is done for each participant. The scoring range is 28 to 140. The higher the score the higher the problem solving ability. The change from baseline to 16-weeks is calculated by subtracting the baseline score from the 16 week score and then doing a 1-sample t-test of whether or not the change was different than 0.