Clinical trial NCT03273491: Self-Weighing: an Ecological Momentary Assessment
Official title: Self-weighing's Psychological Effects: a Randomized Controlled Trial Using Ecological Momentary Assessment
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Daily Self-weighing
Daily Temperature-taking
Keywords: self-weighing
weight gain
Ecological Momentary Assessment
mood
emerging adulthood
obesity
eating disorders
Lead sponsor: University of Delaware
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2017-09-06
Enrollment: 55
Sex: FEMALE
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 26
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: The primary objective of this study is to experimentally test the momentary and more distal psychological effects of daily self weighing as compared to an active control group.

Detailed description: Two significant public health problems, obesity and eating disorders, are prevalent during emerging adulthood, a unique stage of life between ages 18 and 25. Over half of emerging adults experience weight gain and/or disordered eating (e.g. overly restrictive dieting, binge eating); both of which contribute to obesity. Because many emerging adults attend college, the college community represents a viable population for implementing interventions to prevent weight gain, while not triggering disordered eating.

A promising strategy for preventing weight gain during college is daily self-weighing, an example of behavioral self-monitoring, an evidence-based strategy for weight control. Self-monitoring is fundamental to behavior change: feedback allows the user to evaluate progress in relation to a goal and modify behavior. Despite self-monitoring being recommended, some evidence suggests that self-monitoring strategies, self-weighing in particular, may have unintended psychological consequences; the concern being that negative mood states could precipitate disordered eating. Alternatively, other evidence suggests positive psychological outcomes related to daily self-weighing in young adults.

Technological advances have allowed for users to track personal health information in real time. Given that 60% of U.S. adults track weight, diet, or exercise, and 92% of adults aged 18-34 own a smartphone, electronic self-monitoring is feasible in this population. What is less known is individuals' psychological and behavioral response to self-monitoring. This original, important study will contribute to the fields of obesity and eating disorders and experimentally test the psychological effects of this daily weight-control intervention.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Female
* Between the ages of 18 and 26
* UD student
* Owns a smart phone
* If participant does not currently have an eating disorder or has never had one in the past

Exclusion Criteria:

* If participant currently has an eating disorder or has had one in the past
* If participant answers "yes" to 3 or more items in SCOFF

Primary outcomes:
measure: psychological response to daily self-weighing
timeFrame: 3 Months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Identify moderators of response to daily self-weighing in a college-aged female population
timeFrame: 3 Months
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Newark
country: United States
facility: University of Delaware
state: Delaware
Study officials:
References: