Daily Weight Feedback for Wheelchair Users to Promote Weight Loss

Daily Self-weighing Feedback for Wheelchair Users to Promote Weight Loss Through Use of the E-scale

The goals of the proposed study are to test the usability, feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the E-Scale with wheelchair users. The E-scale was developed as a weight monitoring technology for wheelchair users. Up to fifteen overweight or obese wheelchair users will be enrolled in a 13 week study that includes standard behavioral treatment (SBT) for weight loss, which focuses on diet, physical activity, and behavioral strategies (e.g., goal setting, self-monitoring) to support lifestyle changes specifically for people with mobility impairments. The subjects will also be provided the E-scale to track their weight daily. The outcome measure include usefulness (subjective feedback from a survey about the program/E-scale), feasibility (accuracy and repeatable measurements from the E-scale) and efficacy (improvements in weight and other measures of health) of the weight loss program coupled with the E-scale at the end of 13 weeks. The primary hypothesis is that the E-scale coupled with the weight loss intervention will result in significant improvements in weight, abdominal girth, body fat percentage, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D).The results may inform the refinement of this technology to increase its applicability for wheelchair users to independently monitor their weight in their own homes while attempting to lose weight.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Depression; Overweight and Obesity
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: E-Scale

Detailed Description

Wheelchair users have about twice the prevalence of obesity than the general population. There is also very little or no technology to which they have access to measure their weight frequently in their homes. Research however, has shown that monitoring your body weight frequently (i.e. daily) yields significantly better weight loss and weight maintenance results. This research has never included wheelchair users because they have not had access to technology to be able to measure their weight daily. The E-scale was developed as a weight monitoring technology for wheelchair users and has been tested for precision and accuracy in the laboratory. The goal of this study is to determine the usefulness, feasibility and efficacy of the E-scale system coupled with a standardized behavioral treatment weight-loss intervention for overweight or obese wheelchair users.

Up to fifteen overweight or obese wheelchair users will be enrolled in a 13 week study that includes standard behavioral treatment (SBT) for weight loss, which focuses on diet, physical activity, and behavioral strategies (e.g., goal setting, self-monitoring) to support lifestyle changes specifically for people with mobility impairments. The subjects will also be provided the E-scale to track their weight daily. The outcome measure include usefulness (subjective feedback from a survey about the program/E-scale), feasibility (accuracy and repeatable measurements from the E-scale) and efficacy (improvements in weight and other measures of health) of the weight loss program coupled with the E-scale at the end of 13 weeks.

Study hypotheses are:

Hypothesis 1: The E-scale will be useful based on self-reported feedback from wheelchair users by more than 50% stating that the E-scale is easy to use, their preferred weight monitoring system, them feeling that they would use the E-scale if it was available for them to purchase.

Hypothesis 2: The E-scale will be feasible by providing accurate (+/- 2 lbs. from a calibrated scale measurement) and repeatable (<3lbs difference from day-to-day) weight measurements and by the wheelchair users continuing to use the scale more than 70% of the days of the study.

Hypothesis 3: The E-scale coupled with the weight loss intervention will demonstrate efficacy by wheelchair users having significant improvements in weight, abdominal girth, body fat percentage, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D).

This research will determine whether wheelchair users find the E-scale to be useful and feasible as a way to monitor their weight in their homes. It will also show whether wheelchair users, like the general population, have better weight loss outcomes when they monitor their weight daily. This could lead to refinement of the E-scale and a push for more available technology for wheelchair users to monitor their weight at home which could in turn lead to a decrease in the prevalence of obesity among wheelchair users.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 9
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Pennsylvania
    • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15206
      • University of Pittsburgh

Participation Criteria

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:

• Use Wheelchair as primary means of mobility
• Uses a bed with 4 legs
• Body mass index (BMI) ≥27 and ≤40.0
• Has daily access to Internet
• Currently owns or willing to use an android device
• Provides physician clearance to participate in a weight loss intervention
• Speaks English

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of an unstable condition requiring physician-supervised diet and exercise (e.g., diabetes, recent myocardial infarction)
• Presence of condition precluding engagement in exercise at moderate intensity (e.g., asthma, congestive heart failure, etc.)
• Pregnancy or intention to become pregnant during study
• Currently being treated for any psychological issues or problems, taking any psychotropic medications, or receiving treatment with psychotropic medications within the previous 6 months
• Reported alcohol intake > 4 drinks/day
• Reported participation in a formal weight loss program, loss of ≥5% weight in the past 6 months, or current use of weight loss medication.
• History of bariatric surgery (lap-band, gastric bypass, etc.)
• Planned extended vacations, absences, or relocation during study
• A score ≥20 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)
• A classification of Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa or Binge Eating Disorder on the Eating Disorder Diagnosis Scale (EDDS)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
• Allocation: NA
• Interventional Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Masking: NONE

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: E-Scale; E-scale daily bodyweight system coupled with a standardized behavioral treatment weight-loss intervention for overweight or obese wheelchair users	Device: E-Scale; Daily bodyweight system used under legs of bed

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Weight Change	Change in body weight	baseline and 13 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Abdominal Girth Change	Change in abdominal girth	baseline and 13 weeks
Body-fat Percentage Change	Change in body fat percentage	13 weeks
Depression Score at Baseline	Depression scale determined by using the Center for Epidemiology Studies-Depression score. In scoring the CES-D, a value of 0, 1, 2 or 3 is assigned to a response depending upon whether the item is worded positively or negatively.. Possible range of scores is averaged to equal 0 to 60, with the higher scores indicating the presence of more symptomatology	Baseline only

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Jonathan Pearlman
• Collaborators: Paralyzed Veterans of America
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Jon Pearlman, PhD, University of Pittsburgh

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): July 1, 2017
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): February 5, 2018
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): February 9, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 2, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 24, 2017
• First Posted (ACTUAL): August 29, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): May 21, 2019
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 20, 2019
• Last Verified: May 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: obesity; overweight; wheelchair
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Body Weight; Body Weight Changes; Weight Loss; Overweight
• Other Study ID Numbers: PRO16110460

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Portions of the data may be made available upon request

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: Yes