This paper is in the following e-collection/theme issue:

UConn CHASM 6th Annual Conference 2022: "Telehealth and Remote Care in a Post-Pandemic World" (54)

Published on in Vol 9 (2023)

Preprints (earlier versions) of this paper are available at https://preprints.jmir.org/preprint/39352, first published .
Delivering a Post-Partum Weight Loss Intervention via Facebook or In-Person Groups: Results from a Randomized Pilot Feasibility Trial

Delivering a Post-Partum Weight Loss Intervention via Facebook or In-Person Groups: Results from a Randomized Pilot Feasibility Trial

Delivering a Post-Partum Weight Loss Intervention via Facebook or In-Person Groups: Results from a Randomized Pilot Feasibility Trial

Authors of this article:

Molly E Waring1, 2 Author Orcid Image ;   Sherry L Pagoto1, 2 Author Orcid Image ;   Tiffany A Moore Simas3 Author Orcid Image ;   Loneke T Blackman Carr4 Author Orcid Image ;   Madison L Bracken1, 5 Author Orcid Image ;   Brooke A Libby1 Author Orcid Image ;   Valeria Herrera1 Author Orcid Image ;   Lauren R Rudin1, 6 Author Orcid Image ;   Justin Wang7 Author Orcid Image ;   Grace E Heersping1 Author Orcid Image ;   Abigail R Burdick1 Author Orcid Image
Article Authors Cited by Tweetations Metrics

    Abstract

    1Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States

    2UConn Center for mHealth & Social Media, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States

    3Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Population & Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School/UMass Memorial Health Care, Worcester, MA, United States

    4Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States

    5Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, United States

    6Department of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States

    7Social Sciences Department, Community College of Rhode Island, Warick, RI, United States

    Corresponding Author:

    Molly E Waring, PhD

    Department of Allied Health Sciences

    University of Connecticut

    358 Mansfield Rd., Unit 1101

    Storrs, CT, 06269

    United States

    Phone: 1 8604861446

    Email: molly.waring@uconn.edu


    Background: Postpartum weight retention contributes to weight gain and obesity. Remote lifestyle interventions may overcome barriers to attending in-person programs during this phase.

    Objective: We aimed to conduct a randomized feasibility pilot trial of a 6-month postpartum weight loss intervention delivered via Facebook or in-person groups. Feasibility outcomes were recruitment, sustained participation, contamination, retention, and feasibility of study procedures; percent weight loss at 6 and 12 months, exploratory outcomes.

    Methods: Women with overweight or obesity who were 8 weeks to 12 months post partum were randomized to receive a 6-month behavioral weight loss intervention based on the Diabetes Prevention Program lifestyle intervention via Facebook or in-person groups. Participants completed assessments at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Sustained participation was defined with intervention meeting attendance or visible engagement in the Facebook group. Retention was defined as completing follow-up assessments (providing weight or completing the survey). We calculated the percent weight change for participants who provided weight at each follow-up.

    Results: Among uninterested individuals, 69% (72/105) were not interested in or could not attend in-person meetings and 3% (3/105) were not interested in the Facebook condition. Among individuals excluded at screening, 18% (36/195) were ineligible due to reasons related to the in-person condition, 12% (24/195) related to Facebook and 3% (5/195) were unwilling to be randomized (all preferred Facebook). Randomized participants (n=62) were a median of 6.1 (IQR 3.1-8.3) months post partum with a median BMI of 31.7 (IQR 28.2-37.4) kg/m2. Retention was 92% (57/62) at 6 months and 94% (58/62) at 12 months. Overall, 70% (21/30) of Facebook participants and 31% (10/32) of in-person participants attended the last intervention module. Further, 50% (13/26) of Facebook participants and 58% (15/26) of in-person participants would be likely or very likely to participate again if they had another baby, and 54% (14/26) and 70% (19/27), respectively, would be likely or very likely to recommend the program to a friend. Moreover, 96% (25/26) of Facebook participants reported that it was convenient or very convenient to log into the Facebook group daily versus 7% (2/27) of in-person participants who said it was convenient or very convenient to attend group meetings each week. Contamination was low, and study procedures were feasible. Average weight loss was 3.0% (SD 7.2%) in the Facebook condition and 5.4% (SD 6.8%) in the in-person condition at 6 months and 2.8% (SD 7.4%) and 4.8% (SD 7.6%) at 12 months, respectively.

    Conclusions: Barriers to attending in-person meetings hampered recruitment efforts and intervention participation. While women found web-based groups convenient and stayed engaged in the group, weight loss may be lower. Research is needed to further develop care models for postpartum weight loss that balance accessibility with efficacy.

    Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

    Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03700736; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03700736

    iproc 2023;9:e39352

    doi:10.2196/39352

    Keywords

    post-partum; weight loss; Facebook; social media; feasibility pilot trial 

    Edited by T Leung; This is a non–peer-reviewed article. submitted 07.05.22; accepted 21.12.22; published 23.01.23

    Copyright

    ©Molly E Waring, Sherry L Pagoto, Tiffany A Moore Simas, Loneke T Blackman Carr, Madison L Bracken, Brooke A Libby, Valeria Herrera, Lauren R Rudin, Justin Wang, Grace E Heersping, Abigail R Burdick. Originally published in Iproceedings (https://www.iproc.org), 23.01.2023.

    This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in Iproceedings, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on https://www.iproc.org/, as well as this copyright and license information must be included.