Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Dec 28, 2020
Date Accepted: Aug 12, 2021
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Use of a mobile lifestyle intervention application as a waitlist intervention for adolescents with obesity: single arm feasibility study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Use of a mobile health tool as a waitlist intervention combined with in-person weight management clinic visits may increase participant engagement and be an effective treatment strategy for adolescent obesity.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of and adolescent engagement with a mobile application-based lifestyle intervention program as a waitlist intervention prior to their engagement with a multidisciplinary weight management clinic
Methods:
This single-arm feasibility study recruited adolescents with obesity, aged 10-16 year old, to a waitlist intervention using a mobile app-based lifestyle intervention program with routine clinical care. Primary outcomes were adolescents’ engagement with the mobile application and BMI z-score at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included health behaviours, physical activity levels , quality of life and disordered eating behaviours.
Results:
We enrolled 40 adolescents with mean age of 13.8 ± 1.7 years and BMI z-score of 2.07 ± 0.30. Participants were ethnically diverse with 45% Chinese, 33% Malay, 15% Indians and 10% of other ethnicity. 83% of the participants had a household income level that was below the national median levels. 83% of the participants engaged with the mobile app-based lifestyle intervention program. There was no significant differences in the BMI z-score and disordered eating behaviours of the participants at 6 months. Participants had significant improvement in quality of life (P=0.044) and physical activity level (P=0.026) with reduction of total caloric intake (P=0.018) and fat percentage (P=0.018) at 6 months.
Conclusions:
Use of a mobile app-based lifestyle intervention program combined with multidisciplinary clinical care is feasible strategy to provide obesity management services to a low-income and racially diverse Asian population and improves quality of life, physical activity levels and reduces fat percentage and total caloric intake. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03561597
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