scholarly journals User Experiences of a Smartphone-Based Attentive Eating App and Their Association With Diet and Weight Loss Outcomes: Thematic and Exploratory Analyses From a Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Whitelock ◽  
Inge Kersbergen ◽  
Suzanne Higgs ◽  
Paul Aveyard ◽  
Jason CG Halford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Energy Intake ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Barriers And Facilitators ◽  
Smartphone App ◽  
Reduce Food Intake ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Weight Loss Outcomes

BACKGROUND Short-term laboratory studies suggest that eating attentively can reduce food intake. However, in a recent randomized controlled trial we found no evidence that using an attentive eating smartphone app outside of the laboratory had an effect on energy intake or weight loss over 8 weeks. OBJECTIVE This research examined trial participants’ experiences of using an attentive eating smartphone app and whether app usage was associated with energy intake and weight loss outcomes over 8 weeks. METHODS We conducted thematic analysis of semistructured interviews (N=38) among participants in the attentive eating smartphone app group of the trial who completed the 8-week assessment. Linear regression models examined the associations between energy intake and weight loss outcomes at 8 weeks and app usage. RESULTS Participants reported several barriers and facilitators to using the smartphone app, including repetition of app content, social setting, motivation, and habitual use of the app. Participants believed that using the app had some beneficial effects on their eating behavior and diet. Exploratory analyses indicated that more frequent recording of eating episodes in the app was associated with lower body weight (<i>B</i>=–0.02, <i>P</i>=.004) and greater self-reported energy intake (<i>B</i>=5.98, <i>P</i>=.01) at 8 weeks, but not body fat percentage or taste-test energy intake. Total audio clip plays, gallery views, and percentage of food entries recorded using an image were not significantly associated with energy intake or weight. CONCLUSIONS Frequent recording of eating episodes in a smartphone app was associated with greater weight loss. There are barriers and facilitators to frequent use of an attentive eating smartphone app that may be useful to address when designing dietary behavior change smartphone apps. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03602001; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03602001; Open Science Framework DOI 10.17605/osf.io/btzhw; https://osf.io/btzhw/

scholarly journals User Experiences of a Smartphone-Based Attentive Eating App and Their Association With Diet and Weight Loss Outcomes: Thematic and Exploratory Analyses From a Randomized Controlled Trial

10.2196/16780 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. e16780
Author(s):  
Victoria Whitelock ◽  
Inge Kersbergen ◽  
Suzanne Higgs ◽  
Paul Aveyard ◽  
Jason CG Halford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Energy Intake ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Barriers And Facilitators ◽  
Smartphone App ◽  
Reduce Food Intake ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Weight Loss Outcomes

Background Short-term laboratory studies suggest that eating attentively can reduce food intake. However, in a recent randomized controlled trial we found no evidence that using an attentive eating smartphone app outside of the laboratory had an effect on energy intake or weight loss over 8 weeks. Objective This research examined trial participants’ experiences of using an attentive eating smartphone app and whether app usage was associated with energy intake and weight loss outcomes over 8 weeks. Methods We conducted thematic analysis of semistructured interviews (N=38) among participants in the attentive eating smartphone app group of the trial who completed the 8-week assessment. Linear regression models examined the associations between energy intake and weight loss outcomes at 8 weeks and app usage. Results Participants reported several barriers and facilitators to using the smartphone app, including repetition of app content, social setting, motivation, and habitual use of the app. Participants believed that using the app had some beneficial effects on their eating behavior and diet. Exploratory analyses indicated that more frequent recording of eating episodes in the app was associated with lower body weight (B=–0.02, P=.004) and greater self-reported energy intake (B=5.98, P=.01) at 8 weeks, but not body fat percentage or taste-test energy intake. Total audio clip plays, gallery views, and percentage of food entries recorded using an image were not significantly associated with energy intake or weight. Conclusions Frequent recording of eating episodes in a smartphone app was associated with greater weight loss. There are barriers and facilitators to frequent use of an attentive eating smartphone app that may be useful to address when designing dietary behavior change smartphone apps. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03602001; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03602001; Open Science Framework DOI 10.17605/osf.io/btzhw; https://osf.io/btzhw/

scholarly journals Comparing Self-Monitoring Strategies for Weight Loss in a Smartphone App: Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele L Patel ◽  
Christina M Hopkins ◽  
Taylor L Brooks ◽  
Gary G Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Smartphone App ◽  
Weight Loss Intervention ◽  
Behavioral Weight Loss ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
Randomized Controlled

BACKGROUND Self-monitoring of dietary intake is a valuable component of behavioral weight loss treatment; however, it declines quickly, thereby resulting in suboptimal treatment outcomes. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine a novel behavioral weight loss intervention that aims to attenuate the decline in dietary self-monitoring engagement. METHODS GoalTracker was an automated randomized controlled trial. Participants were adults with overweight or obesity (n=105; aged 21-65 years; body mass index, BMI, 25-45 kg/m2) and were randomized to a 12-week stand-alone weight loss intervention using the MyFitnessPal smartphone app for daily self-monitoring of either (1) both weight and diet, with weekly lessons, action plans, and feedback (Simultaneous); (2) weight through week 4, then added diet, with the same behavioral components (Sequential); or (3) only diet (App-Only). All groups received a goal to lose 5% of initial weight by 12 weeks, a tailored calorie goal, and automated in-app reminders. Participants were recruited via online and offline methods. Weight was collected in-person at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months using calibrated scales and via self-report at 6 months. We retrieved objective self-monitoring engagement data from MyFitnessPal using an application programming interface. Engagement was defined as the number of days per week in which tracking occurred, with diet entries counted if ≥800 kcal per day. Other assessment data were collected in-person via online self-report questionnaires. RESULTS At baseline, participants (84/100 female) had a mean age (SD) of 42.7 (11.7) years and a BMI of 31.9 (SD 4.5) kg/m2. One-third (33/100) were from racial or ethnic minority groups. During the trial, 5 participants became ineligible. Of the remaining 100 participants, 84% (84/100) and 76% (76/100) completed the 1-month and 3-month visits, respectively. In intent-to-treat analyses, there was no difference in weight change at 3 months between the Sequential arm (mean −2.7 kg, 95% CI −3.9 to −1.5) and either the App-Only arm (−2.4 kg, −3.7 to −1.2; P=.78) or the Simultaneous arm (−2.8 kg, −4.0 to −1.5; P=.72). The median number of days of self-monitoring diet per week was 1.9 (interquartile range [IQR] 0.3-5.5) in Sequential (once began), 5.3 (IQR 1.8-6.7) in Simultaneous, and 2.9 (IQR 1.2-5.2) in App-Only. Weight was tracked 4.8 (IQR 1.9-6.3) days per week in Sequential and 5.1 (IQR 1.8-6.3) days per week in Simultaneous. Engagement in neither diet nor weight tracking differed between arms. CONCLUSIONS Regardless of the order in which diet is tracked, using tailored goals and a commercial mobile app can produce clinically significant weight loss. Stand-alone digital health treatments may be a viable option for those looking for a lower intensity approach. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03254953; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03254953 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/72PyQrFjn).

scholarly journals Comparing Self-Monitoring Strategies for Weight Loss in a Smartphone App: Randomized Controlled Trial

10.2196/12209 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. e12209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele L Patel ◽  
Christina M Hopkins ◽  
Taylor L Brooks ◽  
Gary G Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Smartphone App ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Monitoring Strategies

A randomized controlled trial of matching of deposit contracts to promote weight loss

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey T. Kullgren ◽  
Andrea B. Troxel ◽  
George Loewenstein ◽  
Laurie A. Norton ◽  
Dana Gatto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Promote Weight Loss ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Deposit Contracts
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