An App-Based Intervention for Pediatric Weight Management: Pre-Post Acceptability and Feasibility Trial

Area of Science:

• Pediatric weight management
• Behavioral interventions
• Digital health

Background:

• Tier 3 pediatric weight management services in the UK offer multidisciplinary care.
• Dietary change is a primary goal, involving various specialists.
• Current services aim to support patients in making healthier eating choices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To trial the inhibitory control training smartphone app, FoodT, in a pediatric weight management clinic.
• To assess if FoodT, as an adjunctive treatment, could support eating choices in pediatric patients.
• To determine the feasibility and acceptability of app-based interventions through recruitment, retention, and app usage.

Main Methods:

• The FoodT app was offered to pediatric patients and parents during clinic appointments.
• Participants were instructed to use the app daily for the first week, then weekly.
• Feasibility was measured by recruitment rates, app engagement, and trial retention.
• Psychometric tests were administered pre- and post-intervention to assess data collection feasibility.

Main Results:

• Only 35% of approached individuals consented to participate (12 children, 10 parents).
• Adherence to the app's training schedule was very low, with only one child meeting recommendations.
• No participants completed the post-trial measures, with reasons including perceived lack of app suitability and disconnection from eating choices.

Conclusions:

• The low recruitment, retention, and completion rates make it difficult to assess the FoodT app's value in this setting.
• Findings suggest that the intervention or the research process (extensive measures) may have hindered completion.
• Key lessons include the importance of co-designing interventions with users and simplifying data collection in early trials.