Mapping components of behavioural weight management interventions using electronic survey and component selection by...

Area of Science:

• Obesity research
• Behavioural science
• Public health interventions

Background:

• Behavioural weight management interventions are the primary funded approach for obesity in the UK.
• Significant variability exists in intervention components, delivery modes, and content.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map components of behavioural weight management interventions in pragmatic clinical trials and real-world services.
• To identify variable components potentially influencing attendance, completion, and weight loss.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey and mapping exercise of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and real-world services.
• Expert group consensus was achieved through online surveys and discussions to select key components for analysis.

Main Results:

• Mapping revealed significant variations in intervention components between RCTs and real-world services.
• Common delivery modes differed: face-to-face group sessions were more prevalent in real-world services (63.2%) than RCTs (28.6%).
• Real-world services more frequently utilized community centers (69.2%) and had longer durations (e.g., 12 weeks for 57.9%).

Conclusions:

• Standardized reporting of adult behavioural weight management interventions can be implemented to aid evaluation.
• Key differences exist between RCT and real-world interventions, impacting evidence-based decision-making.
• Further research is needed to determine effective components and their impact on subgroups.