Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
Health Psychol. 2013 Feb;32(2):164-70. doi: 10.1037/a0028135. Epub 2012 Apr 30.
Online weight control technologies could reduce barriers to treatment, including increased ease and convenience of self-monitoring. Self-monitoring consistently predicts outcomes in behavioral weight loss programs; however, little is known about patterns of self-monitoring associated with success.
The current study examines 161 participants (92% women; 31% African American; mean body mass index = 35.7 ± 5.7) randomized to a 6-month online behavioral weight control program that offered weekly group "chat" sessions and online self-monitoring. Self-monitoring log-ins were continuously monitored electronically during treatment and examined in association with weight change and demographics. Weekend and weekday log-ins were examined separately and length of periods of continuous self-monitoring were examined.
We found that 91% of participants logged in to the self-monitoring webpage at least once. Over 6 months, these participants monitored on an average of 28% of weekdays and 17% of weekend days, with most log-ins earlier in the program. Women were less likely to log-in, and there were trends for greater self-monitoring by older participants. Race, education, and marital status were not significant predictors of self-monitoring. Both weekday and weekend log-ins were significant independent predictors of weight loss. Patterns of consistent self-monitoring emerged early for participants who went on to achieve greater than a 5% weight loss.
Patterns of online self-monitoring were strongly associated with weight loss outcomes. These results suggest a specific focus on consistent self-monitoring early in a behavioral weight control program might be beneficial for achieving clinically significant weight losses.
在线体重控制技术可以减少治疗障碍，包括提高自我监测的便利性和易用性。自我监测在行为减肥计划中始终预测结果；然而，对于与成功相关的自我监测模式知之甚少。
本研究考察了 161 名参与者（92%为女性；31%为非裔美国人；平均体重指数=35.7±5.7），他们被随机分配到一个为期 6 个月的在线行为体重控制计划中，该计划提供每周的小组“聊天”会议和在线自我监测。在治疗期间，连续监测自我监测登录情况，并将其与体重变化和人口统计学数据相关联进行检查。分别检查周末和工作日的登录情况，并检查连续自我监测的时间段长度。
我们发现，91%的参与者至少登录过一次自我监测网页。在 6 个月的时间里，这些参与者平均在工作日登录 28%，周末登录 17%，大多数登录时间较早。女性登录的可能性较小，年龄较大的参与者更倾向于自我监测。种族、教育程度和婚姻状况并不是自我监测的显著预测因素。工作日和周末的登录都是体重减轻的独立显著预测因素。对于那些体重减轻超过 5%的参与者，早期出现了一致的自我监测模式。
在线自我监测模式与体重减轻结果密切相关。这些结果表明，在行为体重控制计划的早期阶段，特别关注一致的自我监测可能对实现临床显著的体重减轻有益。
