Journaling and Weight Loss

July 6, 2017 updated by: University of California, Davis
This is a pilot study to evaluate the effect of keeping a 'gratitude journal' on the outcome of a weight loss program. All the subjects will be enrolled in the Lifesteps weight management program. The experimental group will maintain a gratitude journal and the control group will maintain a 'neutral' journal.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Subjects who are referred to the Preventive Cardiology Program for weight management will be enrolled in the study after obtaining informed consent.

Subjects are enrolled into the program in groups of 10 to 12 every 6 weeks. Alternate groups will be will assigned to the two types of journaling. Each group will be given specific instructions related to the form of journaling assigned. These instructions will be in addition to the usual care prescribed in the Lifesteps® program. In the intervention group, patients will be introduced to gratitude journaling at the beginning of the 12 week class series and asked to journal each day. They will turn in their gratitude journal weekly. At the beginning of each weekly class, five minutes will be spent discussing the journaling.

The control groups will not receive the information on gratitude journaling, but instead will be asked to complete a neutral journal in which they will journal in a general manner regarding their experiences participating in the Lifesteps® weight management program. These will also be collected weekly. At the beginning of class, five minutes will be spent discussing the journaling.

There will be one consent form for the two groups. The instruction (either gratitude journaling or neutral journaling) that will be given to the subjects will reflect the group to which they have been randomized. Both types of journals will be reviewed initially, at mid-point and final by the psychologist (Robert Emmons) to verify the quality of reporting.

Routine tests- Weekly weights

Study Tests:

Pre/post depression: Beck Depression Inventory II; Pre/post Locus of Control: Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale; Pre/post SF 36 Quality of Life Questionnaire; Pre/post Gratitude Questionnaire

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

50

Phase

  • Phase 1

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
    • California
      • Sacramento, California, United States, 95817
        • University of California, Davis Medical Center

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 80 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • BMI>25
  • >18 years of age

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Severe psychiatric diagnosis which in the opinion of the PI would compromise participation in the study.
  • Addiction to alcohol and drugs

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: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: 1
Gratitude Journaling
Behavioral: Gratitude Journaling
Participants will be asked to write down 5 things every day for which they are grateful.
Placebo Comparator: 2
Neutral Journaling
Behavioral: Neutral Journaling
Participants will be asked to write down 5 things every day that they noticed about being involved in a weight loss program.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Weight loss
Time Frame: 3 months
3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Quality of Life
Time Frame: 3 months
3 months
Class attendance
Time Frame: 3 months
3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

University of California, Davis

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: CT Kappagoda, MD, PhD, University of California, Davis

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)

January 1, 2009

Primary Completion (Actual)

September 1, 2011

Study Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 17, 2009

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 17, 2009

First Posted (Estimate)

April 20, 2009

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 11, 2017

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 6, 2017

Last Verified

July 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 200816667

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.

Subscribe