Identifying Factors Contributing to Dropouts in a Pilot Telenutrition Weight-Loss Program: A Qualitative Study

Area of Science:

• Obesity and Weight Management
• Digital Health Interventions
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Telehealth and telenutrition programs offer significant potential for improving health outcomes in obese and overweight individuals.
• These remote interventions can enhance adherence and compliance in medical nutritional therapy, which is often challenging.
• Integrating telemonitoring and telehealth coaching positively impacts long-term weight loss success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors contributing to patient dropout in a 36-week telenutrition weight-loss program.
• To understand the patient experience within a remote weight management intervention combining telemonitoring and telehealth coaching.
• To explore reasons for non-adherence and withdrawal from digital health-supported weight loss initiatives.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive qualitative study utilizing semistructured interviews.
• Interviews conducted with 10 obese and overweight participants who dropped out of the telenutrition program.
• Thematic content analysis applied to interview data to identify dropout factors.

Main Results:

• Work/university pressures (50%) and marital responsibilities (60%) were significant factors for dropout.
• Half of the participants (50%) reported not achieving their weight loss goals.
• Participants reported positive psychological impact from the diet and clarity of instructions, with no negative influence from family or finances.

Conclusions:

• Dropout factors in this remote telenutrition program differ from traditional interventions.
• Positive aspects like perceived psychological benefits and clear instructions were noted, suggesting potential for improved adherence.
• Further research is needed to develop guidelines for telenutrition and digital health interventions to ensure long-term success and reduce dropout rates.