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The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility and efficacy of a 6-month weight loss intervention program for obese working adults through a popular social networking site - Facebook.
Obese individuals often are at higher risk for developing non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The regular physical activity, healthy diet and social support have been shown to be beneficial for weight loss.
This is a two-arm parallel design randomized controlled trial for 6 months. Participants who completed the baseline assessment will be randomly allocated, after stratified by gender, to either a control group or Facebook-based intervention group. The control group will receive information on healthy eating, physical activity, obesity and cancer via three government printed health pamphlets. In addition to the government health pamphlets, the intervention group will receive a programme delivered through Facebook.
The interventions include participation in a private research group on Facebook for health education, self monitoring and social support. Participants will receive 12 weekly lessons related to nutrition, physical activity, Chinese food therapy, acupressure, weight loss. A registered nutritionist and a registered Chinese medicine practitioner will join the Facebook group as health partners. Both of them are also registered nurses.
Data collection will be carried out at baseline, 3 months and 6 months. Each time, both groups will complete online questionnaires and attend in-person anthropometric measurements
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intervention Group | Experimental | Lifestyle Intervention: The interventions include participation in a private research group on Facebook for health education, self monitoring and social support. Participants will receive 12 weekly lessons related to nutrition, physical activity, Chinese food therapy, acupressure, weight loss. A registered nutritionist and a registered Chinese medicine practitioner will join the Facebook group as health partners. Both of them are also registered nurses. Besides the Facebook contents, the participants will also receive government printed health information on healthy eating, physical activity, obesity and cancers. |
|
| Control Group | No Intervention | The participants randomized into the Control Group will only receive government printed health information on healthy eating, physical activity, obesity and cancers. |
| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lifestyle Intervention | Behavioral | East-meets-West Lifestyle Intervention elements include nutrition and exercise from the Western perspective, food therapy and acupressure from the Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, self-monitoring, and motivational videos of successful stories from working colleagues. The group participants in the Facebook are encouraged to post their health behaviors and questions, self-monitor, pledge for weight loss, seek social support and interact with health partners and other participants. |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Changes in body weight | Weights will be taken in light clothes without shoes using a digital scale | Measures are done in three time points: baseline, 3 months and 6 months |
| Changes in Body Mass Index | Height will be taken at baseline using a wall-mounted stadiometer. BMI will be calculated as weight (kg)/height (m2) | Measures are done in three time points: baseline, 3 months and 6 months |
| Changes in waist circumference | Waist circumference will be measured by using an inelastic tape measure | Measures are done in three time points: baseline, 3 months and 6 months |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Changes in Stages of Change | A 5-item questionnaire will be used to categorize participants into stages of change (pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance) | Measures are done in three time points: baseline, 3 months and 6 months |
| Changes in weight self-efficacy |
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Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| WanChaw SHAE | The Hong Kong Polytechnic University | Principal Investigator |
| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Hong Kong Polytechnic University | Hong Kong | Hong Kong |
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| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D009765 | Obesity |
| D009043 | Motor Activity |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D050177 | Overweight |
| D044343 | Overnutrition |
| D009748 | Nutrition Disorders |
| D009750 | Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases |
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Self-efficacy for weight loss will be assessed by using a 20-item Weight Efficacy Lifestyle Questionnaire (WEL). |
| Measures are done in three time points: baseline, 3 months and 6 months |
| Changes in physical activity self-efficacy | A questionnaire of perceived confidence to engage in physical activity under a variety of circumstances on a 5-point Likert scale will be used. | Measures are done in three time points: baseline, 3 months and 6 months |
| Changes in weight decisional balance | A 20-item questionnaire of perceived pros and cons of weight loss on a 5-point Likert scale. The balance of the two scores >0 indicate more advantages than disadvantages to weight loss | Measures are done in three time points: baseline, 3 months and 6 months |
| Changes in social support | A questionnaire will be used to measure the perceived support and sabotage from friends and family for healthy eating and physical activity | Measures are done in three time points: baseline, 3 months and 6 months |
| Changes in dietary intake of fruits and vegetables | A questionnaire will be used to assess self-reported intake of fruits and vegetables in terms of portion size and frequency | Measures are done in three time points: baseline, 3 months and 6 months |
| Changes in physical activity | The International Physical Activity Questionnaire will be used to assess the changes in physical activity | Measures are done in three time points: baseline, 3 months and 6 months |
| D001835 |
| Body Weight |
| D012816 | Signs and Symptoms |
| D013568 | Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms |
| D001519 | Behavior |