Text Based Mobile Technology and Weight Loss

February 13, 2019 updated by: Washington University School of Medicine

Efficacy of a Culturally Sensitive and Linguistically Appropriate Internet and Mobile-based Weight Loss Therapy in Obese Hispanic/Latino Adult Women

Hispanic populations in the US are dis-proportionally affected by high rates of obesity and diabetes; according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Latinos are the minority group with the second-highest obesity prevalence in adults. In comparison to the general female population (61.2%), Mexican American women (73%) have a greater overweight or obese percentage. In addition, more than 50% of Hispanic men and women are expected to develop type-2 diabetes over their lifetime, compared to 40% among whites. Hispanics are also 50% more likely to die from diabetes compared to whites. In many cases Hispanic populations do not have the knowledge, self-confidence and resources to participate in mainstream physical activity and nutrition interventions, which are usually geared towards the general population without considering cultural and linguistic differences.

Information and communication technologies in the form of Internet and mobile phone access have grown enormously during the past decade; these technologies have the potential to affect food intake and physical activity as well as weight loss. Approximately 95% of countries have mobile telephone networks and about 70% of people worldwide use mobile phones.

CareMessage is a Google-backed 501(c)3 nonprofit technology organization based in San Francisco that uses 'smart' text and voice messaging to enable clinical staff to provide automated yet personalized support to patients struggling with chronic conditions. The CareMessage™ Adult Obesity texting program adapts the Health Belief Model by strategically implementing behavioral concepts to help improve self-efficacy.

The investigators will pilot test its effectiveness among a sample of Hispanic women who are at risk of obesity and diabetes by sending a culturally-sensitive and linguistically-appropriate text-based message three to 5 times a week, encouraging lifestyle modifications (diet and exercise education and behavior modification).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The investigators will collect data on 40 obese (Body Mass Index 30-45) Hispanic women ages 21 to 65 years. The purpose of this research study is to test the efficacy of a mobile phone text message-based intervention on weight loss.

After verifying eligibility and enrolling in the study, participants will come to Washington University School of Medicine, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and fill out some questionnaires. The investigators will perform a brief exam that measures the lean and fat tissue using Dual Energy x-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) technology and will also do a modified 3-hour oral glucose tolerance test (MOGTT).

Participants will wear an accelerometer (activity monitor) over a 7-day period at the beginning (before being randomized and enrolled in the intervention) and at the end of the study.

Half of the participants will be randomized to the intervention group. The intervention group will be enrolled in the CareMessage™ Adult Obesity texting program, which sends a text message 3 to 5 times a week, encouraging lifestyle modifications (diet and exercise education, and behavioral strategies) that can lead to healthy weight loss. The control group will receive an initial talk about weight loss but will not be enrolled in any program or intervention.

After six months have passed, participants will return to Washington University School of Medicine, regardless of the group they were assigned to, for two final visits (a short one, to pick up another activity monitor seven days before the study ends, and a longer visit, to do some final testing and fill out some questionnaires).

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
35

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Missouri
      • Saint Louis, Missouri, United States, 63105
        • Washington University in St. Louis

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

21 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria (for both control and intervention groups)

  • Women between 18 21 and 65 years old,
  • Poor to normal English literacy,
  • Of Hispanic or Latin American origin,
  • Having access to a smart phone,
  • Obese (BMI 30-45).
  • Non-institutionalized population,
  • Currently not involved in any other weight loss program,
  • Sedentary population (exercising less than 90 minutes per week).

For the phone screening we will need the following data elements:

  • Female
  • BMI
  • Age
  • Ethnicity

Exclusion Criteria (for both groups):

  • Participants with a history of and/or current mental or physical disabilities.
  • Participants with BMI over 45

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Intervention Group
The intervention group will be enrolled in the CareMessage™ Adult Obesity texting program, which sends a text message 3 to 5 times a week, encouraging lifestyle modifications (diet and exercise education, and behavioral strategies) that can lead to healthy weight loss.
Behavioral: CareMessage™
Adult Obesity texting program, which sends a text message 3 to 5 times a week, encouraging lifestyle modifications (diet and exercise education, and behavioral strategies) that can lead to healthy weight loss.
Other: Control Group
The control group will receive the control condition. They will hear an initial talk about weight loss but will not be enrolled in any program or intervention.
Behavioral: Control Condition
Control condition will receive an initial talk about weight loss but will not be enrolled in any program or intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Body mass Index
Time Frame: 6 months
is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women.
6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Washington University School of Medicine

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Diana Parra, Washington University School of Medicine

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
November 27, 2017

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 25, 2019

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 31, 2019

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 28, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 28, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 29, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
February 15, 2019

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 13, 2019

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 201704048

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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