Using Tailored Messages to Encourage Healthy Lifestyle Choices in a Brief, Self-directed Intervention

University of North Florida

Status: Completed

Conditions: Weight Control

Treatments: Behavioral: Minimal contact control; Behavioral: Promotion and Prevention Interventions

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06856551

724308

Details and patient eligibility

About

The study aimed to investigate 1) if a brief, regulatory focus-based intervention could promote weight control and changes in certain lifestyle behaviors and 2) how weight was affected by changes in these behaviors. The lifestyle behaviors of interest included meal regularity, self-monitoring of diet and physical activity, fast-food eating, screen related viewing and eating, dietary modifications, self-weighing, and physical activity. It was hypothesized that increases in meal regularity, self-monitoring, healthy dietary modifications, self-weighing, and physical activity would lead to better weight control over six months. Conversely, it was hypothesized that increases in fast food consumption and screen related eating and viewing would lead to poorer weight control over six months. It was expected that promotion and prevention conditions, relative to the control condition, would lead to better weight control and increases in meal regularity, self-monitoring, healthy dietary modifications, self-weighing, and physical activity, and decreases in fast food consumption and screen related eating and viewing. Furthermore, it was expected that the promotion condition would lead to better outcomes than the prevention condition.

Enrollment: 200 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 18+ years old
• generally healthy
• BMI between 18.5 and 35

Exclusion criteria

• pregnancy within the past 6 months
• current pregnancy
• plan to get pregnant in the next 6 months
• serious physical or psychological problems that would contraindicate participation in a weight-related program
• history of anorexia or bulimia
• diabetes or hypertension
• current participation in a weight-loss program
• BMI < 18.5, >35.0

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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200 participants in 3 patient groups

Minimal contact control

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants in the control group received a pamphlet about general dietary and physical activity guidelines.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Minimal contact control

Promotion focus group

Experimental group

Description:

Participants completed a 1-hour educational information session with study staff and received a packet which contained information about energy balance, healthy food choices, exercise recommendations, strategies for weight control, goal setting, and responding to lapses. Participants were encouraged to track their food intake and exercise with a provided log book or free apps (Lose It!; MyFitnessPal). All messages and study tasks were framed in terms of promotion focus. Email messages were sent every 2 to 3 weeks to reinforce the study messages about health promotion and weight control.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Promotion and Prevention Interventions

Prevention focus group

Experimental group

Description:

Participants completed a 1-hour educational information session with study staff and received a packet which contained information about energy balance, healthy food choices, exercise recommendations, strategies for weight control, goal setting, and responding to lapses. Participants were encouraged to track their food intake and exercise with a provided log book or free apps (Lose It!; MyFitnessPal). All messages and study tasks were framed in terms of prevention focus. Email messages were sent every 2 to 3 weeks to reinforce the study messages about health promotion and weight control.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Promotion and Prevention Interventions