Implementation Intentions for Weight Loss and Dietary Change in College Students With Overweight and Obesity (ImpInt)
Obesity
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Obesity focused on measuring Obesity, College Students, Implementation Intentions
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- BMI greater than or equal to 25
- Interest in losing weight
- Own a mobile Smart phone and willing to receive study text messages and download a mobile application
Exclusion Criteria:
- Currently participating in a formal weight loss program
- Meet diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder as measured by the Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale
Sites / Locations
- Washington University in St. Louis
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Arm 3
Experimental
Experimental
Active Comparator
Implementation Intention (IMP)
Enhanced Implementation Intention (IMP+)
Goal Intentions (GOL)
Following review of a psychoeducational packet regarding making changes for weight loss, all participants were assigned five dietary goals (e.g. avoiding high-fat foods, eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day) and a goal to weight daily. Participants in the IMP condition formed an implementation intention for each of the goals at the baseline session. Two examples of implementation intentions were provided for each goal as a model. Participants thought about how they would best be able to achieve the outlined goals in their life on a daily basis (goal-aligned behavior), as well as when, where, and how they would initiate these new behaviors (retrieval cue). Participants then created and wrote down a unique implementation intention for each of the goals using the sentence structure "If/When I _______, then I will ______." No repetitions or combinations of implementation intentions were allowed for standardization across participants.
Participants completed all tasks of the IMP group and additionally, individuals in the IMP+ condition received fluency training and text message reminders. Fluency training occurred weekly using an online survey tool. On fluency training days, participants received a survey link via email, which consisted of six multiple-choice questions for participant's unique implementation intentions. Participants had to correctly identify their matching goal-aligned behavior among three distractor behaviors as quickly as possible and were given corrective feedback if they chose incorrectly. Text messages containing all six implementation intentions as well as goal reminders that were obtained by asking participants to write down their reasons for wanting to lose weight were sent on four days each week of the intervention (16 days total). At baseline, participants chose how text messages were bundled and when they were sent. Text schedules stayed constant across the study.
Participants in the GOL condition were assigned the five dietary goals and the daily weighing goal. No additional intervention was given.