Determinants of Weight Gain Prevention in Young Adult and Midlife Women: Study Design and Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

BackgroundTreatment of overweight and obesity through body weight reduction has been monumentally ineffective as few individuals are able to sustain weight loss. Rather than treating weight gain once it has become problematic, prevention of weight gain over time may be more effective.ObjectiveThe aim of this research is to preclude the burden of adult obesity in women by identifying the determinants of weight gain prevention. The objective of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to compare a weight gain prevention intervention delivered by the registered dietitian versus counselor.MethodsThis is a 12-month parallel-arm weight gain prevention RCT designed to increase self-efficacy, self-regulation, outcome expectations and family and social support through the use of a nutrition education intervention in women, aged 18-45 years, from the Urbana-Champaign (Illinois, USA) area. Women have been randomized to registered dietitian, counselor or wait-list control groups (August 2014) and are undergoing weekly nutrition education sessions for four months, followed by monthly sessions for eight months (through August 2015). Outcome measures, including: (1) dietary intake, (2) physical activity, (3) anthropometric and blood pressure measurements, (4) biochemical markers of health, (5) eating behaviors and health perceptions, and (6) mediators of behavior change, were collected before the intervention began (baseline) and will be collected at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of the study.ResultsIn total, 87 women have been randomized to intervention groups, and 81 women have completed first week of the study. Results are expected in early 2016.ConclusionsThis RCT is one of the first to examine weight gain prevention in women across normal, overweight, and obese body mass index categories. Results of this research are expected to have application to evidence-based practice in weight gain prevention for women and possibly have implication for policy regarding decreasing the encumbrance of overweight and obesity in the United States.

Effects of nutrition education on weight gain prevention: a randomized controlled trial

“…Premenopausal women with a body mass index (BMI) of >18.5 kg/m 2 and aged 18–45 years were recruited from the Urbana-Champaign communities and surrounding areas of Illinois. Full details regarding recruitment, screening and enrollment have been previously described along with complete inclusion and exclusion criteria [ 40 ]. Briefly, women were eligible to participate if they met age and BMI criteria and desired to prevent weight gain.…”

“…Full details of the intervention have been described elsewhere [ 40 ]. Women in the RDG and CSG attended a total of 24 nutrition education sessions over the course of the 1-year intervention period.…”

“…For the first 16 weeks of the intervention (months 1–4), participants attended weekly sessions; for the remaining 8 months of the study (months 5–12), participants attended monthly sessions [ 44 ]. Weekly sessions focused on general nutrition education topics, including basic nutrition and food groups, food selection and preparation, recipe modification, nutritious snack choices and snacking and nutrient density, among others, while monthly sessions addressed other areas of lifestyle behavior such as stress management, problem solving and motivation [ 40 , 42 – 47 ]. Six session times were offered each week/month per group.…”

A Wellness Mobile Application for Smart Health: Pilot Study Design and Results

“…We have analyzed several studies existing in literature, for example [11,12,13] and, based on this analysis, we have built a trial protocol in accordance with the SPIRIT 2013 Statement [14], which provides guidelines on the performance of a clinical study.…”

The Effectiveness of Mobile Phone-Based Care for Weight Control in Metabolic Syndrome Patients: Randomized Controlled Trial

“…To prevent and control obesity, an exercise and diet intervention is necessary. Among a number of intervention strategies, a comprehensive body weight control strategy conducted on entire populations is effective in reducing medical costs and the economic burden of obesity [ 5 , 10 - 13 ]. Attempts to manage exercise and diet intake, the two key goals for weight loss, in real-time have been performed with limited means through phone, email, and short message service (SMS) text messaging [ 14 - 16 ].…”