Text messaging as adjunct to community-based weight management program.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Science
• Digital Health

Background:

• Rising global obesity rates present a significant public health challenge.
• Effective community-based interventions are crucial for weight management.
• Mobile technology offers a scalable platform for health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of tailored text messages on body weight change in overweight and obese adults.
• To evaluate behavioral modifications, including eating habits and physical activity, in response to text message interventions.
• To explore participants' attitudes towards mobile technology and its role in health management.

Main Methods:

• Quasi-experimental design with pretest and posttest analysis over 12 weeks.
• Inclusion of 28 overweight and obese adults in a community-based weight management program.
• Biweekly tailored text message intervention for one group; control group received no messages.
• Assessment of body weight, eating behaviors, self-efficacy, physical activity, and technology attitudes.

Main Results:

• The intervention group achieved statistically significant weight loss compared to the control group after 12 weeks.
• A positive trend in eating behaviors and self-efficacy was observed in the intervention group, though not statistically significant between groups.
• 79% of participants reported that text messages facilitated the adoption of healthier behaviors.
• No significant differences were found between groups regarding exercise and nutrition self-efficacy.

Conclusions:

• Tailored text messages can be an effective tool for enhancing weight loss within community-based weight management programs.
• Mobile health interventions show potential for supporting behavioral changes related to weight management.
• Further large-scale, long-term studies are warranted to validate these findings and explore broader applicability.