Document Type
Article
Date of Original Version
10-15-2015
Abstract
Background:
While eHealth approaches hold promise for improving the reach and cost-effectiveness of behavior change interventions, they have been challenged by declining participant engagement over time, particularly for self-monitoring behaviors. These are significant concerns in the context of chronic disease prevention and management where durable effects are important for driving meaningful changes.
Purpose:
“Be Fit, Be Well” was an eHealth weight loss intervention that allowed participants to self-select a self-monitoring modality (web or interactive voice response (IVR)). Participants could change their modality. As such, this study provides a unique opportunity to examine the effects of intervention modality choice and changing modalities on intervention engagement and outcomes.
Methods:
Intervention participants, who were recruited from community health centers, (n = 180) were expected to self-monitor health behaviors weekly over the course of the 24-month intervention. We examined trends in intervention engagement by modality (web, IVR, or changed modality) among participants in the intervention arm.
Results:
The majority (61%) of participants chose IVR self-monitoring, while 39% chose web. 56% of those who selected web monitoring changed to IVR during the study versus no change in those who initially selected IVR. Self-monitoring declined in both modalities, but completion rates were higher in those who selected IVR. There were no associations between self-monitoring modality and weight or blood pressure outcomes.
Conclusions:
This is the first study to compare web and IVR self-monitoring in an eHealth intervention where participants could select and change their self-monitoring modality. IVR shows promise for achieving consistent engagement.
Citation/Publisher Attribution
Wolin KY, Steinberg DM, Lane IB, Askew S, Greaney ML, Colditz GA, et al. (2015) Engagement with eHealth Self-Monitoring in a Primary Care-Based Weight Management Intervention. PLoS ONE 10(10): e0140455.
Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0140455
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Comment
Mary L. Greaney has a dual appointment with the Department of Health Studies and the Department of Kinesiology.