Tracking Our Lives Study

Impact of Using Self-monitoring Smartphone Applications on College Students' Well-being

College women are at risk for eating disorders, which have profound health impacts. Cross-sectional studies have shown that the use of dietary self-monitoring is associated with eating disorder risk among college students. However, causality cannot be established with cross-sectional studies.

This study utilizes a randomized controlled trial design to examine how the use of a popular dietary self-monitoring smartphone application impacts college females' well-being, including eating disorder risk. We hypothesize those who are randomized to dietary self-monitoring will have a greater increase in eating disorder risk compared to the control group.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Health Behavior; Eating Disorders; Mental Health Wellness 2
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Dietary self-monitoring

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 200
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Michigan
    • Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, 48109
      • University of Michigan

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• University of Michigan Ann Arbor undergraduate student
• Daily access to a smartphone
• Female gender
• At least 18 years of age
• Fluent in English

Exclusion Criteria:

• Self-reported history of any medical condition that impacts the types or amount of food eaten
• Self-reported recent use of dietary self-monitoring
• Self-reported history of an active or past eating disorder
• Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire Short Form (EDE-QS) score ≥ 2, indicating high eating disorder risk

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention; Participants are instructed to use a popular dietary self-monitoring application on their smartphone for one month.	Other: Dietary self-monitoring; Participants use a popular smartphone application to track their food and drink intake for one month.
No Intervention: Control; Participants are not asked to use the smartphone application.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Eating Disorder Risk	Eating disorder risk will be measured on a survey via the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire Short Form (EDE-QS). The EDE-QS is a validated 12 question scale. Each question has a score range 0-3, and the average of all scores is the overall score. A higher score indicates higher risk.	30 days
Eating Disorder Risk	Measured via survey using the validated SCOFF questionnaire which consists of five questions. Each question is a yes/no and a yes receives one point with a total score ranging from 0-5. Higher scores indicate higher risk. Modified to ask about pounds instead of stone as a measure of weight.	30 days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Weight-Related Self-Monitoring	Measured via survey that includes single item measures asking about physical activity self-monitoring and self-weighing frequency.	30 days
Body Image	Assessed via survey using the validated 6 question Body Image States Scale (BISS). Scores are the mean of the six items, three of which are reverse coded. Higher scores mean better body image states.	30 days
Weight Stigma	Measured via survey using five single item questions.	30 days
Dietary Intake	Single item survey questions adapted from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System	30 days
Physical Activity	Single item survey questions adapted from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System and an open ended question for amount of time physically active.	30 days
Weight perception	Assessed using two questions on a survey pertaining to BMI category and weight.	30 days
Body changing intentions	Assessed using single item question on a survey asking how, if at all, participants wanted to change their body.	30 days
Social Media Use	Use of common social media sites assessed using five single item measures on a survey.	30 days
Weight	Blind weights taken on research grade laboratory scale.	30 days
Subjective Quality of Life	Assessed using the Brunnsviken Brief Quality of Life Scale (BBQ) on a survey. The BBQ has 12 questions, each ranging from 0-4. Higher scores indicate higher subjective quality of life.	30 days
Anxiety	State anxiety as measured via survey using the short-form of the state scale of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The scale consists of 6 questions with a range of scores 1-4 for each question. Three positive questions are reverse coded and scores are added together with higher scores indicating higher state anxiety.	30 days
Depression Symptoms	Measured via survey using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Revised (CESD-R-10). The CESD-R-10 is a 10 item scale with each question having the possibility of a score 0-3. Two questions are reverse coded, then scores from each question are added to give an overall score. Higher scores indicate more depressive symptoms.	30 days

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Michigan

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Hahn SL, Kaciroti N, Eisenberg D, Weeks HM, Bauer KW, Sonneville KR. Introducing Dietary Self-Monitoring to Undergraduate Women via a Calorie Counting App Has No Effect on Mental Health or Health Behaviors: Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2021 Dec;121(12):2377-2388. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2021.06.311. Epub 2021 Aug 20.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 15, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 1, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): November 1, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 7, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 8, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): August 9, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): November 5, 2019
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 4, 2019
• Last Verified: November 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Feeding and Eating Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: HUM00161687

Drug and device information, study documents

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