Text Messaging as Adjunct to Community-Based Weight Management Program

Abstract

Increasing obesity rates are still a public health priority. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of tailored text messages on body weight change in overweight and obese adults in a community-based weight management program. A secondary aim was to detect behavioral changes in the same population. The study design was quasi-experimental with pretest and posttest analysis, conducted over 12 weeks. A total of 28 participants were included in the analysis. Body weight, eating behaviors, exercise and nutrition self-efficacy, attitude toward mobile technology, social support, and physical activity were assessed at baseline and at 12 weeks. Text messages were sent biweekly to the intervention but not to the control group. At 12 weeks, the intervention group had lost significant weight as compared with the control group. There was a trend toward an improvement in eating behaviors, exercise, and nutrition self-efficacy in the intervention group, with no significant difference between groups. A total of 79% of participants stated that text messages helped in adopting healthy behaviors. Tailored text messages appear to enhance weight loss in a weight management program at a community setting. Large-scale and long-term intervention studies are needed to confirm these findings.

The effectiveness of eHealth interventions on physical activity and measures of obesity among working‐age women: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…Moderate PA (min week −1 ) increased significantly in the majority of studies (9 out of a possible 13) and vigorous/hard/very hard PA increased significantly in 10 investigations (out of a possible 12). Six studies reported MET‐min week −1 of MVPA (4 reported means, 1 reported median, 1 reported least square mean); 3 reported MET‐min week −1 of moderate‐only PA and 3 reported MET‐min week −1 of vigorous‐only PA . On 5 (of a possible 8) occasions MET‐min week −1 of MVPA, 3 (of a possible 3) occasions MET‐min week −1 of moderate PA and 1 (of a possible 3) occasion MET‐min week −1 of vigorous PA increased following eHealth interventions.…”

“…Studies included in the review were published between 2000 and 2016 and conducted in four high income OECD countries (USA = 44, Australia = 9, Canada = 3, United Kingdom = 4). Forty‐one RCTs ; 13 pre‐post ; 2 quasi‐experimental ; 1 randomized (no control) ; 1 ABA withdrawal design ; 1 within‐subjects trial and 1 prospective trial examined changes in MVPA levels following eHealth interventions. All papers were published in English.…”

“…Some studies used technology to deliver prompts such as reminders to exercise, track movement or encouragement to continue. More specifically, studies sent e-mails (32,33,37,43,50,51,53,55,58,61,65,66,69,74,80,83,86,88), regular text messages (29,33,52,54,57,(61)(62)(63)84) and/or made regular telephone calls (30, [38][39][40]44,48,50,51,62,67,68,77,88). Many of the interventions were designed using health behaviour obesity reviews theories, with Social Cognitive Theory (30, 36,37,40,[43][44][45]47,51,53,56,…”

The Weight-Related Eating Questionnaire offers a concise alternative to the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire for measuring eating behaviors related to weight loss

“…A single administration of the instrument has been shown to distinguish the four subscales across different age groups and ethnicities, although most of these studies were conducted in college-aged samples (Byrd-Bredbenner, Quick, Koenings, Martin-Biggers, & Kattelmann, 2016; Schembre & Geller, 2011; Schembre, Nigg, & Albright, 2011). It has also been administered in short-term weight loss studies (Bouhaidar et al, 2013) twice within a short time range, but results from these longitudinal analyses were not reported. Therefore, the utility of the WREQ in identifying eating behaviors related to weight loss has not been demonstrated in the longer term.…”

Evaluation of SMS reminder messages for altering treatment adherence and health seeking perceptions among malaria care-seekers in Nigeria

“…Studies find that SMS-based reminders have led to improvements in applying sunscreen (Armstrong et al 2009), remembering to take diabetes drugs (Vervloet et al 2012), following HIV treatment regimens (Pop-Eleches et al 2011), adhering to asthma treatment (Strandbygaard et al 2010) and birth control pills (Castano et al 2012), getting vaccinated (Stockwell et al 2014), losing weight (Bouhaider et al 2013) and quitting smoking (Whittaker et al 2009). Because the health benefits of such behaviours may accrue well into the future, individuals may fail to follow through on intentions in the present, whether due to lack of attentiveness (Banerjee and Mullainathan 2008; Datta and Mullainathan 2014) or a bias towards alternative choices that may offer more immediate gratification (Strotz 1955; Ainslie 1975; Ainslie 1991; Hoch and Loewenstein 1991; Laibson 1997).…”