This trial will test the effectiveness of a weight loss maintenance intervention designed to help participants respond more adaptively to weight regain. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions. In one condition, participants will receive brief exercises (e.g., written reflections, videos) sent to through a smartphone app immediately after they regain weight or miss a weigh-in. These exercises will use mindfulness, acceptance, and self-compassion strategies to help participants stay motivated for their long term goals, even when weight regain feels demoralizing. In the comparison condition, participants will receive weekly reminders of standard weight control strategies strategies.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
120
For six months, participants will receive a just-in-time adaptive interventions via a smartphone app immediately after they gain weight or they skip a weigh-in (according to a specific algorithm). Interventions will engage participants in mindfulness, acceptance, and self-compassion-based (MASC) strategies through different modalities (e.g., writing exercises, videos, audio reflections). They will take approximately 1-10 minutes. Participants will also attend an introductory workshop, during which they will receive the instructions weigh daily, learn the importance of quickly responding to weight regain, and be introduced to MASC strategies. They will also attend two booster workshops during the 6-month period.
For six months, participants will receive weekly, automated messages via a smartphone app with reminders of standard behavioral weight control principles. Participants will attend an introductory workshop, during which they will receive instructions to weigh daily and learn the importance of responding to weight regain.
Oregon Research Institute Community and Evaluation Services
Springfield, Oregon, United States
RECRUITINGState negative affect
Through ecological assessment surveys, participants will respond to a single item measuring their current negative affect.
Time frame: Whenever participants skip a weigh-in or regain weight during the 6 month study period
State shame
Through ecological assessment surveys, participants will respond to a single item measuring their current shame.
Time frame: Whenever participants skip a weigh-in or regain weight during the 6 month study period
State Motivation
Through ecological assessment surveys, participants will respond to a single item measuring their current feelings of motivation.
Time frame: Whenever participants skip a weigh-in or regain weight during the 6 month study period
State Self-Efficacy
Through ecological assessment surveys, participants will respond to a single item measuring their current self-efficacy.
Time frame: Whenever participants skip a weigh-in or regain weight during the 6 month study period
Current confidence in the effectiveness of weight control behaviors
Through ecological assessment surveys, participants will respond to a single item measuring their current confidence in the effectiveness of weight control behaviors.
Time frame: Whenever participants skip a weigh-in or regain weight during the 6 month study period
State self-compassion
Through ecological assessment surveys, participants will respond to a single item measuring their state self-compassion.
Time frame: Whenever participants skip a weigh-in or regain weight during the 6 month study period
State mindfulness
Through ecological assessment surveys, participants will respond to a single item measuring their state mindfulness.
Time frame: Whenever participants skip a weigh-in or regain weight during the 6 month study period
State acceptance
Through ecological assessment surveys, participants will respond to a single item measuring their state acceptance.
Time frame: Whenever participants skip a weigh-in or regain weight during the 6 month study period
Self-serving interpretation of weight gain
Through ecological assessment surveys, participants will respond to a single item measuring their self-serving interpretation of the weight regain.
Time frame: Whenever participants regain weight during the 6 month study period
Daily Calorie Tracking (Yes/No)
Whether participants log their calories (at least 800 calories) using a dietary tracking app that day (yes/no).
Time frame: Whenever participants skip a weigh-in or regain weight during the 6 month study period
Daily MVPA
Minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity they engage in that day, as tracked by their Fitbit band.
Time frame: Whenever participants skip a weigh-in or regain weight during the 6 month study period
Likelihood of weighing in the following day
Likelihood that participants weigh themselves the following day on a wireless smart scale (yes/no).
Time frame: Whenever participants skip a weigh-in or regain weight during the 6 month study period
Weight change
Using participants' weights from a wireless scale, their percent weight change from the beginning to the end of the study period will be calculated.
Time frame: End of treatment (6 months after baseline)
Intervention acceptability
Intervention acceptability will be operationalized as the percent of participants who indicate that they are "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the program on an anonymous survey that they complete during their individual interview.
Time frame: End of treatment (6 months after baseline)
Calorie Tracking Frequency
The number of days that participants logged their calories (at least 800 calories) using a dietary tracking app during the study period.
Time frame: 6 months (duration of study period)
Average Weekly MVPA
Average total minutes of weekly moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, as tracked by their Fitbit band, during the study period.
Time frame: 6 months (duration of study period)
Frequency of Weighing In
Total number of days that participants weighed themselves on a wireless smart scale during the study period.
Time frame: 6 months (duration of study period)
Mindfulness (Hypothesized intervention mediator)
Participants will self-report their mindfulness using the Awareness subscale of The Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale. The range of scores is 1-5, with higher scores indicating greater mindfulness.
Time frame: Mid-Treatment (3 months after baseline)
Acceptance (Hypothesized intervention mediator)
Participants will self-report their mindful acceptance using the Acceptance subscale of The Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale. The range of scores is 1-5, with higher scores indicating greater mindful acceptance.
Time frame: Mid-Treatment (3 months after baseline)
Self-compassion (Hypothesized intervention mediator)
Participants will report their self-compassion using the Self-Compassion Scale Short Form. Scores can range from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating higher self-compassion.
Time frame: Mid-Treatment (3 months after baseline)
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