Attrition in a behavioral weight-control program: A comparison of dropouts and completers

Abstract

A major problem in weight‐reduction programs is that a significant number of individuals terminate treatment prematurely. To help alleviate some of the problems associated with high attrition, it is important to understand the ways in which treatment dropouts are different from those individuals who complete a weight‐reduction program. In the present study 271 obese persons who participated in a Health Maintenance Organization's low‐cost behavioral program were evaluated. At the end of the 12‐session program, dropouts (N = 161) and completers (N = 110) were identified. Treatment dropouts were compared to treatment completers on the following variables: initial weight, percent overweight, age, sex, occupation, education, number of previous attempts to lose weight, plus scores on the eating questionnaires. The major finding was that dropouts did not differ much from completers. The largest difference between these two groups occurred with respect to reported occupations. The completer group contained significantly more women working in the home than the dropout group. Reasons for this finding were hypothesized. To prevent high attrition rates, further research is recommended, particularly on the role of cognitive factors in weight control.

Decision‐making, sensitivity to reward and attrition in weight management

“…Homogeneity in the sample may also explain why age, gender, or dieting history did not predict attrition in the present study. This is in contrast with previous studies , although similar null results have been reported by others for gender (e.g., ), age (e.g., ), and previous dieting attempts . We observed a somewhat higher level of education among program completers, which is in line with previous findings .…”

Measuring and reporting attrition from obesity treatment programs: A call to action!

“…Attrition can also jeopardise the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a treatment program, with increased administrative costs and the underutilisation of available resources being major issues [5,12,[34][35][36]. As attrition is associated with poorer outcomes for individual participants [2,29], retaining participants is also crucial in improving outcomes in weight-management programs overall.…”

Predictors of dropout in weight loss interventions: a systematic review of the literature

“…Thirty-three studies considered the relationship between age and attrition. Seventeen studies failed to demonstrate a relationship (3,4,(13)(14)(15)20,(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38) and 13 studies found that younger age was associated with higher attrition (2,7,22,23,26,(39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46). Only two studies found that older patients were more likely to drop out of treatment (47,48) and these studies involved very small sample sizes (n = 39 and 49, respectively).…”