Evaluating the Impact of Behavioral Education on Weight Loss Program Adherence

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Body Weight; Behavior Change; Intervention; Health Behavior; Obesity; Incidence; Patient Education; Clinics; Metacognition; Questionnaires; Comparative Analysis; Outcomes of Education

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Rates of overweight and obesity have reached epidemic proportions in the United States with 42% of Americans being classified as obese (BMI >30) and 73% as overweight according to the CDC. The prevalence of obesity has steadily increased over the years and is not only a chronic disease in itself but is also a risk factor for countless others and a significant healthcare cost. Long term weight loss is dependent on sustainable behavior change and educating patients on behavior change techniques (BCTs) has been shown to improve their adherence to weight management programs and increase their likelihood of long-term success. "Behavior Bootcamp," a unique, BCT-focused educational intervention was offered as a pilot at a small obesity medicine clinic in the Northeastern United States. Any interested patients already enrolled in the weight management program were eligible to participate. The intervention was a live, one-time educational session. Data collection took place for four weeks after the intervention and outcome measures of interest included program adherence, weight loss, and motivations levels. An additional group of clinic patients who did not participate in "Behavior Bootcamp" was used for comparison for the measures of adherence and weight loss. Motivation was assessed with the Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire (TSRQ), a tool not regularly utilized at the clinic, so comparison data was not available. Eleven individuals participated in the "Behavior Bootcamp" pilot and five had complete data sets at the time of analysis. There was no change in program adherence in the intervention group (M 0.00, SD 0.74) but there was a slight decrease in the comparison group (M -0.58, SD 0.88, p=0.26), potentially being clinically important. Weight loss was realized in both groups with no significant differences between them. Motivation levels went up over time with external motivation reaching statistically significant levels (p = 0.045). Healthy behaviors, unplanned measurements for the intervention group also improved overall. Educating patients about BCTs may have important clinical significance specifically for maintaining adherence and motivation during an endeavor as challenging as weight loss and weight loss maintenance. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

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2023

ED633784