Development and Validation of a Cognitive Retraining Module to Improve Cognitive Deficits in Adults with Obesity

Obesity is associated with cognitive impairments that hinder effective adherence to treatment protocols, exacerbating the condition's complexity and management challenges. Addressing these cognitive deficits through targeted interventions is crucial for improving treatment outcomes and sustainable weight management.

The study aims to develop and validate a cognitive retraining module to address these deficits and improve treatment adherence.

The study was carried out at the Department of Medicine in a Tertiary Care Hospital in North India. The developmental phase comprised four sequential steps as outlined by Fraser and Glinsky: (a) conducting a needs analysis, (b) creating program materials, (c) validating and enhancing program components through effectiveness tests, and (d) disseminating the developed module. The study involved 22 participants, including 12 experts from diverse fields such as psychology, medicine, psychiatry, and human nutrition, and 10 individuals with obesity having significant cognitive deficits. The validation process consisted of two steps: (i) assessing the content validity of the session-wise module with subject matter experts and (ii) conducting pilot testing to evaluate acceptability and feasibility among the targeted population.

The module consists of six sessions, targeting seven cognitive domains: (i) abstraction, (ii) visuospatial, (iii) working memory, (iv) attention, (v) language, (vi) delayed recall, and (vii) executive functioning. Each session lasts for around 40-45 min.

The module is a standardized, feasible, and effective intervention for treating cognitive deficits among obese patients. This research introduces a 6-session cognitive retraining module addressing various cognitive domains to enhance weight management among obese adults.