A Tailored Gender-Sensitive mHealth Weight Loss Intervention (I-GENDO): Development and Process Evaluation

Area of Science:

• Digital health interventions
• Obesity research
• Behavioral medicine

Background:

• Rising global overweight and obesity rates necessitate effective digital interventions.
• Current digital weight loss programs often lack theoretical grounding and long-term data.
• Individual and gender-specific psychological factors may influence intervention success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate a 12-week gender-sensitive mobile health (mHealth) weight loss intervention (I-GENDO).
• To assess the process evaluation of the I-GENDO intervention, combining computer-based and self-tailoring features.
• To explore gender differences in the use and usability of the mHealth intervention.

Main Methods:

• Recruited individuals with overweight and obesity (BMI 25.0-39.9 kg/m²) for a multicenter study in Germany.
• Implemented a tailored mHealth intervention targeting psychological factors like emotional eating.
• Incorporated gender-sensitive self-tailoring of module versions and analyzed usage patterns and usability by gender.

Main Results:

• 116 participants (66.4% women) with high compliance (82.6%) and satisfaction (86% approval) were included.
• Usability was rated at 71% satisfaction; women more frequently accessed emotion regulation modules.
• While women used the app more, usage progress patterns did not differ between genders.

Conclusions:

• A tailored, gender-sensitive mHealth weight loss intervention was developed with satisfactory usability and engagement.
• High overall satisfaction suggests potential for mobile weight loss solutions.
• Acknowledging and integrating gender differences is crucial for evaluating intervention effectiveness and long-term sustainability.