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Effectiveness of a Scalable mHealth Intervention for Children With Overweight and Obesity
Elissa Jelalian1, Katherine Darling1, Gary D Foster2,3
1Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, The Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, USA.
Insights
Mobile health (mHealth) interventions show promise for pediatric obesity treatment. A study found that a coaching program with a mobile app significantly reduced weight status in youth.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Obesity
- Digital Health Interventions
- Weight Management
Background:
- Multicomponent interventions are first-line for pediatric obesity but face access challenges.
- Mobile health (mHealth) interventions offer a scalable solution by overcoming common barriers to in-person programs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the effectiveness of a mHealth program combining personal health coaching and a mobile app for pediatric weight management.
- To identify predictors of weight status change in youth participating in the Kurbo program.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study of 3500 youth enrolled in the Kurbo program.
- Hierarchical linear regression analyzed the impact of baseline BMI percentile (%BMIp95), coaching sessions, and program duration on %BMIp95 change.
- Controlled for baseline age and sex.
Main Results:
- Youth experienced a mean decrease of 4.45% in %BMIp95 over approximately 31.5 weeks.
- Being female, higher baseline %BMIp95, and more coaching sessions predicted greater weight status reduction.
- Longer program enrollment was associated with less change in weight status.
Conclusions:
- A scalable mHealth coaching program with digital monitoring tools can significantly reduce pediatric weight status.
- Further research with rigorous designs, including comparison groups and verified measurements, is needed to confirm these findings.
Abstract:
Multicomponent interventions are the first line of treatment for pediatric obesity, but are challenging to access. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions hold promise as they address commonly cited barriers for attending in person programs and have potential for wide scale dissemination. This retrospective cohort study examined data from youth who enrolled in the Kurbo program, which includes personal health coaching and a mobile app. Hierarchical linear regression was used to examine the impact of baseline percentage of the 95th% percentile for body mass index (%BMIp95), number of coaching sessions, and length of time enrolled in the program on change in %BMIp95, controlling for baseline age and sex. A total of 3500 youth (mean age of 12.79 years, 71.3% female) were included. Youth experienced a 0.70 U decrease in BMI [standard deviation (SD) = 2.19] and a 4.45% decrease (SD = 8.5) in %BMIp95 over a mean of 31.5 weeks. The overall regression model was significant, R2 = 0.066, F(3,3494) = 77.18, and p < 0.001. Predictors of decrease in weight status included being female (b = -1.11, p < 0.001), higher baseline %BMIp95, (b = -0.58, p < 0.001), and greater number of coaching sessions (b = -0.12, p < 0.001), while greater time enrolled in the program (b = 0.02, p < 0.001) was associated with less change. Findings suggest a scalable coaching program with integrated digital tools for monitoring diet and activity can lead to significant reductions in weight status. Findings need to be replicated with more rigorous study designs, including a comparison condition and verified assessment of height and weight.
