Browsing by Author "Hales, Sarah"
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- ItemDescription, utilisation and results from a telehealth primary care weight management intervention for adults with obesity in South Carolina.(0000-00-00) Brown, Joshua D; Hales, Sarah; Evans, T Ed; Turner, Tonya; Sword, David O; O'Neil, Patrick M; Ballentine, Sara; Lovelace, Oscar; DuBose-Morris, Ragan AleiseIntroduction In the US obesity rates are higher in rural areas than in urban areas Rural access to treatment of obesity is limited by a lack of qualified clinicians and by transportation and financial barriers We describe a telemedicine weight management programme Wellness Connect developed through a partnership of academic clinicians and rural primary care providers in South Carolina and present utilisation and weight outcomes from seven patient cohorts Methods Eight bi weekly sessions were provided via telemedicine videoconferencing for groups of patients at these rural primary care clinics Protocol based sessions were led by registered dietitians exercise physiologists and clinical psychologists at a central urban location Results Of 138 patients who started the programme 62 N 86 of patients met the criteria for completion Completers lost an average of 3 5 standard deviation SD 3 9 body weight which was statistically significant p Under 001 and corresponded with an average loss of 3 8 kg SD 4 5 kg There were no differences in weight change among clinics p 972 Overall patients and providers reported satisfaction with the programme and identified several challenges to sustainability Discussion The use of innovative telemedicine interventions continues to be necessary to alleviate barriers to accessing evidence based services to reduce chronic diseases and decrease obesity rates among rural populations
- ItemTrading pounds for points: Engagement and weight loss in a mobile health intervention.(0000-00-00) Hales, Sarah; Turner-McGrievy, Gabrielle M; Wilcox, Sara; Davis, Rachel E; Fahim, Arjang; Huhns, Michael; Valafar, HomayounObjective The objective of this study was to describe participant engagement and examine predictors of weight loss and points earned through the point based incentive system of the Social Pounds Off Digitally POD app Materials and methods Overweight and obese adults with Android smartphones tablets body mass index 25 49 9 kg m2 N 24 were recruited for a 3 month weight loss intervention Participants completed a survey assessing demographics and personality and had their weight measured Participants received the content of the intervention via podcasts and used the Social POD app to self monitor diet physical activity and weight The Social POD app contained tracking features in app notifications to track pre set goals for tracking newsfeed for updates on others goal attainment ability to earn and track points for usage exchanged for study provided prizes and a message screen Analyses examined relationships between percent weight loss personality characteristics and total points earned Results A total of 4843 points were earned mean 202 105 points participant Most participants earned all three prizes 62 5 followed by two prizes 21 no prizes 12 5 and one prize 4 Total points earned significantly predicted percent weight loss B 0 02 p 01 and higher conscientiousness significantly predicted greater total points earned B 10 27 p 01 but other personality characteristics assessed did not Conclusion A mobile app yielded moderately high participant engagement as demonstrated by points earned Earning points was significantly associated with percent weight loss and conscientiousness was significantly associated with total points earned Future research should examine whether point systems impact health behavior and weight loss when rewards are discontinued Clinical trial registration number NCT02344836