Choosing Healthy Options in College Environments and Settings
Condition: Obesity
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Examine the effectiveness of a weight gain prevention intervention to positively affect body
      mass index in 2-year college students
    

Detailed description: 
      The goal of this research is to develop and test innovative strategies to help prevent
      unhealthy weight gain in college students attending 2-year community or technical colleges.
      The intervention we propose for Phase 2, and will refine through our formative experiences in
      Phase 1, will be based on social ecological and social networks models with students
      randomized to conditions. Students (n=440) with BMIs between 20.0 and 34.9 will be recruited
      to participate in an intervention trial that lasts 24 months. After the initial screening and
      consent procedures, students will complete baseline measures that include: assessment of body
      composition; blood pressure and a blood draw; a behavioral and psychosocial survey; medical
      and weight history and two 24-hour online dietary recalls. After the completion of baseline
      assessments, students will be randomized into treatment or control conditions. Students
      randomized into the intervention condition will participate in a 1-credit course offered
      through their 2-year college that focuses on eating, activity, sleep and stress management as
      ways to help maintain or achieve a healthy weight; three course sections will be offered to
      accommodate students' scheduling needs and learning preferences. A web-based social network
      and support component will be introduced as part of this course and will continue as the
      intervention channel for 20 months following the 1-credit course. This supported intervention
      phase will use a study-designed website to reinforce, inform and encourage exchange and
      support between all intervention participants. Students will be asked to track their weight
      and weight-control behaviors on the website and intervention staff will interact with
      participants electronically or through phone calls offering encouragement and helping with
      problem solving. Control students will receive their health assessments and usual care
      including existing public health information on maintaining a healthy weight and information
      regarding health services offered on their school's campus. The effectiveness and
      sustainability of the intervention approaches will be evaluated.

      The primary aim is to examine the effectiveness of a 24-month weight gain prevention
      intervention to positively affect BMI in 2-year college students. Our hypothesis is that
      students randomized to an intervention condition will experience a smaller increase in mean
      BMI post treatment, as compared to students randomized to the control condition.

      The secondary aims of this study are to: 1) Examine the effectiveness of a weight gain
      prevention intervention to positively affect weight in 2-year college students' and 2)
      compare the effects of the intervention and control groups with regard to change in BMI and
      weight from baseline to four months and from baseline to 12 months.
    

Intervention name(s): CHOICES Intervention
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Academic course on healthy weight behaviors followed by participation in a social networking and social support website.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Factorial Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention