An Evaluation of a Smartphone-Assisted Behavioral Weight Control Intervention for Adolescents: Pilot Study

Overview

Journal JMIR Mhealth Uhealth

Specialties Biomedical Engineering
Medical Informatics

Date 2016 Aug 25

PMID 27554704

Citations 15

Authors

Chad D Jensen

Kristina M Duncombe

Mark A Lott

Sanita L Hunsaker

Kara M Duraccio

Susan J Woolford

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The efficacy of adolescent weight control treatments is modest, and effective treatments are costly and are not widely available. Smartphones may be an effective method for delivering critical components of behavioral weight control treatment including behavioral self-monitoring.

Objective: To examine the efficacy and acceptability of a smartphone assisted adolescent behavioral weight control intervention.

Methods: A total of 16 overweight or obese adolescents (mean age=14.29 years, standard deviation=1.12) received 12 weeks of combined treatment that consisted of weekly in-person group behavioral weight control treatment sessions plus smartphone self-monitoring and daily text messaging. Subsequently they received 12 weeks of electronic-only intervention, totaling 24 weeks of intervention.

Results: On average, participants attained modest but significant reductions in body mass index standard score (zBMI: 0.08 standard deviation units, t (13)=2.22, P=.04, d=0.63) over the in-person plus electronic-only intervention period but did not maintain treatment gains over the electronic-only intervention period. Participants self-monitored on approximately half of combined intervention days but less than 20% of electronic-only intervention days.

Conclusions: Smartphones likely hold promise as a component of adolescent weight control interventions but they may be less effective in helping adolescents maintain treatment gains after intensive interventions.

Citing Articles

Children and young people's preferences and needs when using health technology to self-manage a long-term condition: a scoping review.

Court R, Swallow V, El-Yousfi S, Gray-Burrows K, Sotir F, Wheeler G Arch Dis Child. 2024; 109(10):826-835.

PMID: 39142825 PMC: 11503065. DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2023-326044.

The Development of a Text Messaging Platform to Enhance a Youth Diabetes Prevention Program: Observational Process Study.

Sapre M, Elaiho C, Brar Prayaga R, Prayaga R, Constable J, Vangeepuram N JMIR Form Res. 2024; 8:e45561.

PMID: 38809599 PMC: 11170040. DOI: 10.2196/45561.

Usability and Engagement Testing of mHealth Apps in Paediatric Obesity: A Narrative Review of Current Literature.

Arthurs N, Tully L, OMalley G, Browne S Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022; 19(3).

PMID: 35162470 PMC: 8834793. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19031453.

Establishing a Working Definition of User Experience for eHealth Interventions of Self-reported User Experience Measures With eHealth Researchers and Adolescents: Scoping Review.

Newton A, March S, Gehring N, Rowe A, Radomski A J Med Internet Res. 2021; 23(12):e25012.

PMID: 34860671 PMC: 8686463. DOI: 10.2196/25012.

Treatment of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese.

Di Figlia-Peck S, Feinstein R, Fisher M Curr Probl Pediatr Adolesc Health Care. 2020; 50(9):100871.

PMID: 33097417 PMC: 7576185. DOI: 10.1016/j.cppeds.2020.100871.

References

Bacigalupo R, Cudd P, Littlewood C, Bissell P, Hawley M, Buckley Woods H . Interventions employing mobile technology for overweight and obesity: an early systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Obes Rev. 2012; 14(4):279-91. PMC: 3618375. DOI: 10.1111/obr.12006. View

Nguyen B, Shrewsbury V, OConnor J, Steinbeck K, Hill A, Shah S . Two-year outcomes of an adjunctive telephone coaching and electronic contact intervention for adolescent weight-loss maintenance: the Loozit randomized controlled trial. Int J Obes (Lond). 2012; 37(3):468-72. DOI: 10.1038/ijo.2012.74. View

Woolford S, Clark S, Strecher V, Resnicow K . Tailored mobile phone text messages as an adjunct to obesity treatment for adolescents. J Telemed Telecare. 2010; 16(8):458-61. PMC: 3485407. DOI: 10.1258/jtt.2010.100207. View

Jensen C, Duraccio K, Hunsaker S, Rancourt D, Kuhl E, Jelalian E . A qualitative study of successful adolescent and young adult weight losers: implications for weight control intervention. Child Obes. 2014; 10(6):482-90. DOI: 10.1089/chi.2014.0062. View

Thomas J, Wing R . Health-e-call, a smartphone-assisted behavioral obesity treatment: pilot study. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2014; 1(1):e3. PMC: 4114436. DOI: 10.2196/mhealth.2164. View

Curtis K, Lahiri S, Brown K . Targeting Parents for Childhood Weight Management: Development of a Theory-Driven and User-Centered Healthy Eating App. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2015; 3(2):e69. PMC: 4526951. DOI: 10.2196/mhealth.3857. View

Finkelstein E, Graham W, Malhotra R . Lifetime direct medical costs of childhood obesity. Pediatrics. 2014; 133(5):854-62. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2014-0063. View

Napolitano M, Hayes S, Bennett G, Ives A, Foster G . Using Facebook and text messaging to deliver a weight loss program to college students. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2013; 21(1):25-31. DOI: 10.1002/oby.20232. View

Gerber B, Stolley M, Thompson A, Sharp L, Fitzgibbon M . Mobile phone text messaging to promote healthy behaviors and weight loss maintenance: a feasibility study. Health Informatics J. 2009; 15(1):17-25. PMC: 2730665. DOI: 10.1177/1460458208099865. View

10.

Burke L, Styn M, Sereika S, Conroy M, Ye L, Glanz K . Using mHealth technology to enhance self-monitoring for weight loss: a randomized trial. Am J Prev Med. 2012; 43(1):20-6. PMC: 3563396. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2012.03.016. View

11.

Ho M, Garnett S, Baur L, Burrows T, Stewart L, Neve M . Effectiveness of lifestyle interventions in child obesity: systematic review with meta-analysis. Pediatrics. 2012; 130(6):e1647-71. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2012-1176. View

12.

Duncan J, Janke E, Kozak A, Roehrig M, Russell S, McFadden H . PDA+: A Personal Digital Assistant for Obesity Treatment - an RCT testing the use of technology to enhance weight loss treatment for veterans. BMC Public Health. 2011; 11:223. PMC: 3083358. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-223. View

13.

Turner T, Spruijt-Metz D, Wen C, Hingle M . Prevention and treatment of pediatric obesity using mobile and wireless technologies: a systematic review. Pediatr Obes. 2015; 10(6):403-9. PMC: 4499498. DOI: 10.1111/ijpo.12002. View

14.

Burke L, Sereika S, Music E, Warziski M, Styn M, Stone A . Using instrumented paper diaries to document self-monitoring patterns in weight loss. Contemp Clin Trials. 2007; 29(2):182-93. PMC: 2435095. DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2007.07.004. View

15.

Shaw R, Bosworth H, Silva S, Lipkus I, Davis L, Sha R . Mobile health messages help sustain recent weight loss. Am J Med. 2013; 126(11):1002-9. PMC: 3820279. DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2013.07.001. View

16.

Smith K, Kerr D, Fenner A, Straker L . Adolescents just do not know what they want: a qualitative study to describe obese adolescents' experiences of text messaging to support behavior change maintenance post intervention. J Med Internet Res. 2014; 16(4):e103. PMC: 4004140. DOI: 10.2196/jmir.3113. View

17.

Park M, Falconer C, Viner R, Kinra S . The impact of childhood obesity on morbidity and mortality in adulthood: a systematic review. Obes Rev. 2012; 13(11):985-1000. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2012.01015.x. View

18.

Harvey-Berino J, Pintauro S, Buzzell P, Gold E . Effect of internet support on the long-term maintenance of weight loss. Obes Res. 2004; 12(2):320-9. DOI: 10.1038/oby.2004.40. View

19.

Jelalian E, Hart C, Mehlenbeck R, Lloyd-Richardson E, Kaplan J, Flynn-OBrien K . Predictors of attrition and weight loss in an adolescent weight control program. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008; 16(6):1318-23. DOI: 10.1038/oby.2008.51. View

20.

Pulgaron E . Childhood obesity: a review of increased risk for physical and psychological comorbidities. Clin Ther. 2013; 35(1):A18-32. PMC: 3645868. DOI: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2012.12.014. View