Get Social: Randomized Trial of a Social Network Delivered Lifestyle Intervention

University of Connecticut

Status: Completed

Conditions: Weight Loss

Treatments: Behavioral: Get Social; Device: Smartphone; Behavioral: Traditional

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT02646618

H17-210

1R01DK103944-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The present study is a non-inferiority trial comparing the efficacy of a lifestyle intervention delivered entirely via an online social network to a traditional lifestyle intervention delivered via group meetings.

Full description

Lifestyle interventions have had established efficacy for over a decade but are still not widely disseminated, largely due to high cost and patient and provider burden. Online social networks are an alternative way to deliver lifestyle counseling and delivery via this modality may virtually eliminate patient visits, the main source of cost and burden in traditional modalities. Interactions in online social networks are frequent, brief, and asynchronous because users login to their online communities during downtime during work and leisure time, or when they simply feel a need for social connection. As such, social media becomes embedded into people's daily lives. This provides an opportunity to embed health behavior change programming into people's daily lives. Thus far in the literature, existing online social networks have been used as component of web- or mobile app-based lifestyle interventions but not as the primary modality for intervention delivery. The purpose of this work is to conduct a non-inferiority trial to compare a lifestyle intervention delivered entirely via private groups on the online social network Twitter to a traditional in-person group-based lifestyle intervention. Using a randomized trial (N=328), investigators will test whether a lifestyle intervention delivered via an online social network (Get Social condition) will result in a mean percent weight loss at 12 months that is not appreciably worse than the gold-standard in-person group-based lifestyle intervention (Traditional condition), i.e., the social network arm will not lose on average 2% less than the in-person arm. Secondary non-inferiority outcomes include weight loss at 12 months, and dietary intake and physical activity at 12-months. Investigators hypothesize that the Get Social condition will be less expensive than the Traditional condition. To understand for whom an online social network modality is most suited, investigators will test predictors of weight loss in the Get Social condition including engagement, age, sociability, neuroticism, openness, and smartphone and social network use. Investigators hypothesize that people who are younger, more sociable, engage more on the social network, higher in neuroticism/openness, and heavier overall smartphone and social network users will lose more weight in the Get Social condition. Findings from this study may support an intervention delivery modality that is more conducive to settings like worksites, health plans, and clinics that serve large populations but have limited space, staffing, and resources for traditional in person interventions.

Enrollment: 329 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion:

1. Smartphone users
2. Ages 18-65
3. Body Mass Index (BMI) 27-45
4. Must currently log into a social media platform on a daily basis basis and engage (like, reply, post) at least 4 days per week.

Participants will be excluded if they:

1. Do not have a smartphone;
2. Are unable to get medical clearance from their Primary Care Physician (PCP);
3. Have plans to move during study;
4. Are not interested in losing weight;
5. Have Type 1 or uncontrolled 2 Diabetes (as determined by PCP);
6. Have medical conditions that would prevent increasing physical activity or making dietary changes;
7. Are pregnant/lactating or plans to become pregnant during study;
8. Are currently taking medication affecting weight;
9. Currently participating in a weight loss program or using an online social network to assist them with weight loss (e.g. Weight Watchers, Sparkpeople, etc);
10. Unable to walk at least ¼ mile unaided without stopping;
11. Experienced a weight loss of 5% or more in past 3 month;
12. A history of/or plans on having bariatric surgery;
13. Did not complete the baseline measures;
14. Not willing to use Twitter, or if a current Twitter user, not willing to create a new account specifically for study purposes;
15. Participated in another weight loss study under the direction of the PI of this study;
16. Current smoker (smokes 3 or more cigarettes per day);
17. Unavailable to attend weekly group meetings;
18. Prefers one condition over another;
19. Score of 30 or higher on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) or endorsement of 2 or 3 on BDI #9 indicating suicidal thoughts;
20. Presence of binge eating disorder
21. Did not complete the orientation webinar;
22. Are unable to provide consent due to mental illness or a cognitive impairment;
23. Does not speak English; or
24. Are a prisoner.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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329 participants in 2 patient groups

Get Social

Active Comparator group

Description:

Get Social participants will receive a weight loss intervention in a "protected" Twitter group. The intervention content will be structured to deliver in an online context. The online coaches will post daily content, respond to questions, address concerns, and encourage engagement. The weight loss intervention is based on the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), an evidence-based weight loss program focused on lifestyle changes. The goals for the intervention are 175 minutes of moderate physical activity per week and an overall weight loss of 7%. Each participant will get an individualized calorie goal that would facilitate a 1-2 lbs. weight loss weekly. Participants will also be encouraged to use an app such as MyFitnessPal to track daily diet.

Treatment:

Device: Smartphone

Behavioral: Get Social

Traditional

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants will attend weight loss groups weekly for 8 weeks, then biweekly for 16 weeks, then monthly between months 6 and 12. The weight loss intervention is based on the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), an evidence-based weight loss program focused on lifestyle changes. The goals for the intervention are 175 minutes of moderate physical activity per week and an overall weight loss of 7%. Each participant will get an individualized calorie goal that would facilitate a 1-2 lbs. weight loss weekly. Participants will also be encouraged to use an app such as MyFitnessPal to track daily diet.

Treatment:

Device: Smartphone

Behavioral: Traditional