Alternative Dietary Approaches Online to Promote Tracking
Condition: Diet Quality; Weight Loss
MeSH terms: Weight Loss
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Purpose: Compare the efficacy of two 3-month Internet-based interventions that use a
      simplified strategy for monitoring of dietary intake among young adult men and women with
      overweight or obesity.

      Participants: Young adult men and women who are between the ages of 18-35 years (N=75) and
      who currently have overweight or obesity (BMI between 25 and 50 kg/m^2).

      Procedures (methods): This is a randomized controlled trial comparing the efficacy of two
      Internet-based dietary interventions among 75 young adult men and women who currently have
      overweight or obesity. Both interventions will use simplified monitoring of dietary intake
      using an approach based on the Traffic Light Diet. One intervention will target a reduction
      in intake of red foods (high-calorie, high-fat foods) and tracking of red foods in the study
      website. The other intervention will target an increase in intake of green foods
      (low-calorie, healthy foods) and tracking of green foods in the study website. Components of
      both interventions include (1) personalized goals for red/green food intake, (2) weekly
      tailored feedback, and (3) weekly lessons delivered via smartphone.
    

Detailed description: 
      The primary objective of the study is to test two approaches for dietary self-monitoring
      among young adults with overweight/obesity. Thus, all participants will receive an
      Internet-based dietary intervention that includes evidence-based lessons focused on dietary
      change, behavioral skills training, and frequent weighing. The only difference between the
      two groups will be the types of foods participants are instructed to self-monitor and the
      dietary goals participants are given. Young adult men and women (N=75) will be randomly
      assigned, with equal probability, to one of two groups:

        1. Red food reduction intervention (RED FOOD): An Internet-based dietary intervention
           delivered via REDCap; weekly self-report of weight and daily red food monitoring using a
           mobile-optimized study website.

        2. Green food promotion intervention (GREEN FOOD): An Internet-based dietary intervention
           delivered via REDCap; weekly self-report of weight and daily green food monitoring using
           a mobile-optimized study website.

      During the 3-month Internet-based dietary intervention, participants will receive an email at
      the beginning of each week with a link to a REDCap page that will ask them to self-report
      their weight. They will then be directed via REDCap to their tailored feedback summaries
      based on their self-reported weight data and the dietary monitoring data that is pulled from
      the study website. After reading their feedback, participants will be directed to a weekly
      lesson in REDCap. Participants will be encouraged to login to the study website every day to
      self-monitor red or green foods, depending on their intervention group. Participants will
      receive a unique username and password to login to the study website. Each intervention
      component is described in more detail below.

      Intervention Components:

      Participant goals: Participants will be assigned a dietary goal based on their baseline
      weight. Participants will be able to view their daily dietary goal (number of red foods per
      day in RED FOOD and number of green foods per day in GREEN FOOD) on the study website.
      Participants' dietary goals will be based on their intervention group. Participants will not
      receive specific goals for weighing or physical activity. However, all participants will be
      recommended to weigh frequently throughout the week, as research has shown this is best for
      successful weight loss. Participants will self-report their weight online via REDCap once per
      week.

      Weekly feedback: Participants will receive tailored feedback summaries via REDCap weekly.
      Participants will receive an email to self-report their weight in REDCap, after which they
      will be directed to their feedback page. The feedback message will include feedback based on
      participants' number of days tracking diet, progress toward their dietary goal, and
      self-reported weight for the week.

      Lessons: Lessons will be updated weekly and made available in REDCap. Lesson content will
      focus on specific areas of diet or eating behavior which participants could focus on changing
      over the next week. Behavioral topics typically included in behavioral weight control
      programs will be incorporated into the lessons including problem solving, planning ahead, and
      stimulus control. Participants will be directed to the REDCap lesson after reviewing their
      weekly feedback message.
    

Intervention name(s): Simplified dietary tracking
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Mobile-delivered nutrition program using simplified dietary monitoring with a focus on weight loss.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: Adherence, diet tracking, diet goals