Effect of Mobile-Based Lifestyle Intervention on Weight Loss among the Overweight and Obese Elderly Population in China: A Randomized Controlled Trial
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Mingzhu Zhou1,2, Na Zhang1,2, Yu Zhang1,2
1Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Peking University, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China.
Background And Objective:
Overweight or obesity, as an independent risk factor for chronic diseases, has been on the rise globally. Adopting a healthy lifestyle is positive to weight control. Mobile-based lifestyle interventions have shown potential benefits in weight loss, but most studies were carried out among non-elderly population, so it is necessary to perform well-designed randomized controlled trials among the elderly with overweight or obesity. The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of mobile-based lifestyle intervention on weight loss among the overweight and obese elderly population in China.
Methods:
This is a prospective, open-labeled, three-month, multicenter, randomized controlled trial involving 750 participants from five cities who were randomly assigned to dietary and physical activity interventions group (DPG; mobile phone with the App and bracelet), physical activity interventions group (PG; mobile phone with the App and bracelet) and control group (CG; no interventions and kept their lifestyle as before). The outcomes evaluated were changes in weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference (HC).
Results:
In total, 642 (85.6%) participants completed the study, 237 (94.8%), 203 (81.2%), and 202 (80.8%) for DPG, PG, and CG respectively. Comparing with PG and CG, the DPG showed a significant decrease in all outcomes after three months, including body weight (-4.1 kg vs. -1.0 kg; -4.1 kg vs. -0.8 kg; p < 0.05), BMI (-1.6 kg/m2 vs. -0.4 kg/m2; -1.6 kg/m2 vs. -0.3 kg/m2; p < 0.05), WC (-2.8 cm vs. -0.1 cm; -2.8 cm vs. -0.5 cm; p < 0.05), and HC (-3.8 cm vs. -1.3 cm; -3.8 cm vs. -1.3 cm; p < 0.05). Similar effects were seen across sex and BMI subgroups.
Conclusions:
Mobile-based lifestyle intervention obtained beneficial effect in weight loss among the elderly with overweight or obesity. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness and its sustainability.
