ENGAGED: E-Networks Guiding Adherence to Goals for Exercise and Diet
| Status: | Archived |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Obesity Weight Loss |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Endocrinology |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | Any |
| Updated: | 7/1/2011 |
| Start Date: | January 2011 |
| End Date: | September 2011 |
The ENGAGED study is a randomized controlled trial investigating different strategies to
improve weight loss in overweight individuals. All participants in the study will receive
free state-of-the art behavioral weight loss treatment in the Department of Preventive
Medicine at Northwestern University. Treatment involves taking part in 8 weekly, 90 minute
group sessions in our clinic at 680 N. Lakeshore Dr. During these meetings, participants
will learn proven behavioral strategies for weight loss. Each participant will also be
assigned an individual coach, who will communicate with them regularly via phone, email,
and/or text message for the duration of the study. Participants must be willing and able
to record food and beverage intake (either on a smartphone or on paper) and wear an
unobtrusive, physical activity measurement device for the entire six-months of the study. In
addition to participating in the treatment, participants will complete 2 follow up visits to
our study at months 3 and 6 of the study.
The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) intensive lifestyle intervention is the gold standard
weight loss treatment for adults with cardiometabolic risk factors. Despite its efficacy,
the DPP has not been widely adopted, because its 16 individual, face-to-face sessions with a
specialist are considered too burdensome and expensive to be a sustainable program. Attempts
to reduce cost by decreasing session number have yielded greatly diminished weight loss.
Behavioral adherence to diet and activity goals declines and weight regain routinely begins
once frequent face-to-face meetings cease. The still unmet challenge of DPP implementation
is how to reduce treatment intensity without excising the regular social support,
accountability, and feedback that are essential to maintain adherence. We hypothesize that
it is feasible to implement DPP Intensive Lifestyle Treatment as effectively but twice as
efficiently by using hand held technology to preserve feedback, accountability, and regular
social support. The smartphone-based technology system to be tested is guided by Carver and
Scheier's control systems theory of self-regulation. Initial formative research will upgrade
the smartphone with engaging features that motivate participants to use the device to
self-monitor and interact with a coach and peer support group. Use of the finalized tool
will be compared to usual recording on paper records in a preliminary 2-group randomized
controlled trial (RCT) involving 64 obese adults. By enabling peer support, accountability,
and feedback on diet, physical activity, and weight loss goals continuously through the
6-month intervention period, the ENGAGED system is expected to enhance (1) behavioral
adherence [operationalized by (a) self-monitoring of diet and activity and (b) attainment of
diet and activity goals], and (2) weight loss. An enabling technology that integrates
specialist and peer support resources to improve treatment adherence could help to curtail
the obesity epidemic by increasing the efficiency, feasibility, and reach of effective DPP
lifestyle intervention.
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