Accepted for/Published in: JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Date Submitted: Sep 3, 2019
Date Accepted: Mar 23, 2020
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Experiences of African American breast cancer survivors using digital scales and activity trackers in a weight gain prevention intervention: a qualitative study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Use of digital tools to promote daily self-weighing (DSW) and daily activity tracking (DAT) may be a promising strategy for weight control among African American breast cancer survivors (AABCS). There have been no studies exploring the acceptability and feasibility of using digital tools for weight control nor qualitative studies characterizing perceptions of DSW and DAT among AABCS.
Objective:
Explore subjective experiences of DSW and DAT using digital tools, including wireless scales and activity trackers, in a sample of AABCS participating in two technology-based weight gain prevention interventions over 6 months.
Methods:
Semi-structured interviews (N = 21) were conducted in-person or over the phone, were audio recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Each transcript was read to identify key themes and develop a codebook. Each transcript was coded using Atlas.ti software and code outputs were used to identify overarching themes and patterns in the data.
Results:
Participants were on average 52.6 +/- 8.3 years of age, obese at baseline (BMI: 33.1 +/- 5.9), and weighed on 123.4 +/- 48.0 out of the 168 days (73%) in the study period. Women tended to attribute their weight gain to cancer treatment and framed program benefits in terms of improved quality of life and perceptions of prolonging their survival following treatment. Using the smart scale for DSW was viewed as the tool by which participants could control their weight and improve their health and wellbeing post-treatment. The activity tracker increased awareness of physical activity and motivated participants to be more active.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that DSW and DAT may be beneficial for AABCS in the context of post-treatment weight management.
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