Accepted for/Published in: JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Date Submitted: Sep 24, 2018
Open Peer Review Period: Sep 27, 2018 - Nov 1, 2018
Date Accepted: Mar 24, 2019
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Effects of a Smartphone-Based Approach–Avoidance Intervention on Chocolate Craving and Consumption: Randomized Controlled Trial
ABSTRACT
Background:
Repeatedly pushing high-calorie food stimuli away based on joystick movements has been found to reduce approach biases towards these stimuli. Some studies also found that such avoidance trainings reduced consumption of high-calorie foods.
Objective:
To make such interventions suitable for daily use, this preregistered study tested effects of a smartphone-based approach–avoidance intervention on chocolate craving and consumption.
Methods:
Within a ten-day period, participants (n = 105, 86% female) either performed five sessions during which they continuously avoided (i.e., swiped away/upwards) chocolate stimuli (experimental group, n = 35), performed five sessions during which they approached and avoided chocolate stimuli equally often (placebo control group, n = 35), or did not perform any training sessions (inactive control group, n = 35). Training effects were measured during laboratory sessions before and after the intervention period and further continuously through daily ecological momentary assessment (EMA).
Results:
Self-reported chocolate craving and consumption as well as body fat mass significantly decreased from pre- to post-measurement across all groups. EMA reports evidenced no differences in chocolate craving and consumption between intervention days and rest days as a function of group.
Conclusions:
A smartphone-based approach–avoidance training did not affect eating-related and anthropometric measures over and above measurement-based changes in the current study. Future controlled studies need to examine whether other techniques of modifying food approach tendencies show an add-on benefit over conventional, monitoring-based intervention effects. Clinical Trial: https://aspredicted.org/pt9df.pdf
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