AzTrials
AzTrials

OverweightNCT01171586

mDiet: A Text Message Intervention for Weight Loss

A study testing mDiet in people with Overweight and Weight Loss, run by University of California, San Diego at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

The purpose of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) funded randomized controlled study is to develop and evaluate a text message (SMS) based weight loss intervention to 309 overweight or moderately obese English and Spanish speaking adults ages 21 - 60. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 21 to 60 years
Conditions the study is for
Overweight, Weight Loss
What is being tested?
mDiet
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
318 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
May 2010to Jun 2014
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 21 to 60 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Are 21 - 60 years
  • Are overweight or moderately obese with a BMI between 27.0 - 39.9
  • Have a cell phone that is capable of sending and receiving text and picture messages
  • Have a permanent residence in San Diego County and intend to stay over the entire study duration
  • Speak and read English or Spanish
  • Are willing to attend all (3) measurement assessments at the research office
  • Provide assent and have a legal guardian that will participate and provide parental permission/consent

Who cannot join

  • Have any of the following conditions: pulmonary, cardiovascular, or musculoskeletal problems that would limit the ability to comply with moderate intensity physical activity (i.e. brisk walking)
  • Are pregnant or intend to become pregnant during the study period
  • Have a history of substance abuse
  • Have a psychiatric disorder that would impair compliance with the study protocol
  • Are using weight loss medications or supplements
  • Are currently involved in another weight loss study or program

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • UCSD, Atkinson Hall, 3rd Floor

    La Jolla, California, 92037-0811

Other trials in United States

About this study

The purpose of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) funded randomized controlled study is to develop and evaluate a text message (SMS) based weight loss intervention to 309 overweight or moderately obese English and Spanish speaking adults ages 21 - 60. The investigators propose that participants randomized to the intervention arms will lose significantly more weight than those participants randomized to the control group.

Read the detailed description

The SMS based intervention will be developed through formative research including focus groups, cognitive interviews, and a pilot test of a Spanish version of mDIET. The focus groups will be conducted with both English and Spanish speaking men and women to 1) learn more about the content areas to be addressed in the intervention including physical activity and sedentary behaviors to expand on previous research; 2) learn more about assessing equivalence and compatibility in intervention messages in English and Spanish; 3) identify the most culturally and linguistically appropriate messages; 4) assess text message use; 5) identify factors that influence food and physical activity decisions; and 6) identify health messages that Latinos see as most understandable, credible, and persuasive, cognitive interviews, and a pilot test of a Spanish version of mDIET. The cognitive interviews will be conducted in Spanish and will help inform translation of study materials (text messages and measures) from English to Spanish. An 8-week pilot test of the Latino (Spanish language) mDIET will be conducted to ensure that the text messages and SMS system works as expected in terms of usability and acceptability.

The randomized controlled trial will be a 12-month intervention with 309 study participants. Participants will be randomized to one of three groups: SMS-only, SMS plus phone counseling, and a control group (Details of the study arms are discussed in another section). The goals of the intervention groups (SMS-only and SMS plus phone counseling) include: 5% weight loss, 500 k/cal per day deficit through reduced caloric intake and increased energy expenditure, 12,00 steps through the use of a pedometer, and a reduction in sedentary behaviors. Participants will receive daily text messages, self-monitoring tools, and brief health promotion printed or wed materials on physical activity, nutrition, or other weight loss related topics. Participants will complete physiological and survey measures at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months to assess weight (BMI), physical activity and diet behaviors, psychosocial behaviors, environmental factors, and exposure and satisfaction with the program.

Being tested
mDiet
Keywords
Obesity, overweight, weight loss, weight maintenance, SMS, technology, cell phone, physical activity, nutrition
Medical subject headings
Overweight, Weight Loss, Obesity, Motor Activity

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • mDietBehavioural

    The goals of the intervention groups (SMS-only and SMS plus phone counseling) include: 5% weight loss, 500 k/cal per day deficit through reduced caloric intake and increased energy expenditure, 12,00 steps through the use of a pedometer, and a reduction in sedentary behaviors. Participants will receive daily "pushed" and "pulled" text messages, self-monitoring tools, and brief health promotion printed or wed materials on physical activity, nutrition, or other weight loss related topics.

Study groups in NCT01171586
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
SMS OnlyExperimentalThe SMS only group will receive hints, tips, strategies, and questions related to weight loss behaviors, physical activity, nutrition, and motivation. The messages will be "pushed" to participants (i.e. no response needed) and "pulled" from participants (i.e. response is needed). The SMS only group will also receive a brief printed or web based outline on weight loss resources and information.
Receives: Behavioral: mDiet
SMS + Phone CounselingExperimentalThis group will receive hints, tips, strategies, and questions related to weight loss behaviors, physical activity, nutrition, and motivation. The messages will be "pushed" to participants (i.e. no response needed) and "pulled" from participants (i.e. response is needed). The group will also receive monthly counseling calls from a Health Coach to discuss barriers and solutions and will receive a brief printed or web based outline on weight loss resources and information.
Receives: Behavioral: mDiet
ControlNo interventionThe Control group will receive a binder with an attractive set of Standard Print Materials related to weight loss that is comparable to what one would receive from community resources such as libraries, magazines and national non-profit or governmental organizations such as 5-A Day, American Heart Association and the like.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Weight Loss

    To evaluate differences from baseline in percent weight loss at 12 months. We hypothesize that, compared to the usual care Standard Print condition differences in weight loss will be significant in both the SMS only (SMS = short message service or text message) and SMS+Phone intervention groups.

    Measured: 12 months

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Intervention Effects

    To assess the intervention effects on weight loss by study group, diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviors, quality of life, and depression

    Measured: 12 months

  2. Weight Loss Between Intervention Arms

    To assess differences in weight loss between the 2 intervention arms (SMS only and SMS plus phone counseling)

    Measured: 12 months

  3. Intervention Satisfaction and Exposure

    To assess the level of satisfaction and use of the intervention components (SMS, phone counseling)

    Measured: 12 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted28 Jul 2010 (estimated)
  2. Study startMay 2010
  3. Primary completionJun 2014
  4. Study completionJun 2014

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
318 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01171586
Sponsor's protocol ID
R01CA138730
Status last verified
Dec 2014
First submitted
26 Jul 2010
Last updated
5 Dec 2014
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Godino JG, Golaszewski NM, Norman GJ, Rock CL, Griswold WG, Arredondo E, Marshall S, Kolodziejczyk J, Dillon L, Raab F, Jain S, Crawford M, Merchant G, Patrick K. Text messaging and brief phone calls for weight loss in overweight and obese English- and Spanish-speaking adults: A 1-year, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial. PLoS Med. 2019 Sep 25;16(9):e1002917. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002917. eCollection 2019 Sep.

    PubMed 31553725
  • Kolodziejczyk JK, Norman GJ, Roesch SC, Rock CL, Arredondo EM, Madanat H, Patrick K. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and demographic correlate models of the strategies for weight management measure for overweight or obese adults. Am J Health Promot. 2015 Mar-Apr;29(4):e147-57. doi: 10.4278/ajhp.130731-QUAN-391. Epub 2014 Mar 26.

    PubMed 24670075
  • Kolodziejczyk JK, Norman GJ, Barrera-Ng A, Dillon L, Marshall S, Arredondo E, Rock CL, Raab F, Griswold WG, Sullivan M, Patrick K. Feasibility and effectiveness of an automated bilingual text message intervention for weight loss: pilot study. JMIR Res Protoc. 2013 Nov 6;2(2):e48. doi: 10.2196/resprot.2789.

    PubMed 24200517

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing mDiet in people with Overweight and Weight Loss, run by University of California, San Diego at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 5 Dec 2014. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Weight Loss (time frame: 12 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01171586, which also lists 3 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 5 Dec 2014.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in
mDiet: A Text Message Intervention for Weight Loss | AzTrials