The Effect of a ChatGPT-Supported Online Group-Guided Self-Help Program on Uncontrolled and Emotional Eating Behaviors and Body Image in Overweight and Obese Woman Nurses

January 4, 2026 updated by: Gülsüm Zekiye Tuncer, Dokuz Eylul University

ChatGPT-Supported Online Group-Guided Self-Help Program

Nurses with overweight and female gender characteristics often experience disruptions in their eating behaviors due to stressful working conditions. These disruptions can lead to physical and psychosocial problems (Nicholls et al., 2017). Studies have shown that guided self-help programs, based on cognitive behavioral therapy interventions, are effective in addressing uncontrolled and emotional eating behaviors (Carrard et al., 2011; Cachelin et al., 2015). However, the use of supportive tools to assist the facilitator in group-based interventions of these evidence-based self-help programs and their impact on individual recovery processes remain unexplored. Additionally, no studies have been found investigating the application of these AI-supported guided self-help programs among female nurses, who are frequently exposed to stress and at high risk of obesity.

Given the demanding workloads of nurses, cost-effective and easily accessible online programs have been found to promote recovery (Jenkins et al., 2021). Therefore, it is essential to test this AI-supported program in an online group format with overweight and obese woman nurses.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of a ChatGPT-supported online group-guided self-help program on uncontrolled and emotional eating behaviors and body image in overweight and obese woman nurses through a randomized controlled trial. Participants will be recruited via an announcement shared on social media platforms (Instagram). Nurses who respond to the announcement will be asked to complete a survey through Google Forms. Those randomly assigned to the intervention group will participate in online group sessions conducted via Google Meets. Pre- and post-test data will be collected using Google Forms.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

44

Phase

  • 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

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • İzmir
      • Izmir, İzmir, Turkey (Türkiye)
        • Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Nursing

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Hold at least a bachelor's degree in nursing from a nursing school.
  • Work as a nurse in an institution.
  • Be a woman.
  • Have a BMI (Body Mass Index) greater than 24.99.
  • Not have a hearing impairment that would prevent them from understanding and completing verbal instructions.
  • Have access to a smartphone or computer with a camera.
  • Agree to participate in the study.
  • Score 50 or higher on the emotional eating and external eating subscales of the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ).

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Refusal to participate in the study.
  • Diagnosis of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, or hyperthyroidism.

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: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: ChatGPT supported Online Guided Self-Help Program (GSHP)
The experimental group will participate in the ChatGPT-supported Online Group Guided Self-Help Program.
Behavioral: ChatGPT supported Online Guided Self-Help Program (GSHP)

Guided Self-Help Program (GSHP)

The Guided Self-Help Program (GSHP) was developed by Fairburn and Carter for patients with binge eating disorder and later adapted to address various eating behaviors, forming an intervention protocol. GSHP modules consist of:

Starting self-monitoring, Establishing regular eating patterns, Applying the "mindful eating" rule and developing alternatives to emotional eating, Practicing problem-solving exercises, Addressing diet-related issues and body image, and Termination modules.

Session Structure:

Session 1 focuses on tracking eating patterns and raising self-awareness about eating habits. Individuals are asked to maintain a daily record via a shared Google Forms link. This food diary is later processed through ChatGPT, and personalized feedback is provided.

Session 2 provides psychoeducation on developing regular eating patterns. It emphasizes recognizing hunger and satiety cycles and reducing triggers. Participants are asked to log their meals daily
No Intervention: Control group
The control group will consist of participants placed on a waitlist.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ)
Time Frame: 8 weeks

The Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) was developed by Van Strien, Frijters, Jan, Bergers, and Defares (1986) to measure emotional, external, and restrained eating behaviors. The questionnaire consists of 33 items divided into three subscales:

Restrained Eating (10 items) - Example: "Do you deliberately eat foods that are slimming?" Emotional Eating (13 items) - Example: "Do you have a desire to eat when someone upsets you?" External Eating (10 items) - Example: "Do you feel like eating when you pass by a café or snack bar?" Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Never, 5 = Very often). The 31st item is reverse-scored.

The psychometric properties of the DEBQ were validated in Turkish by Bozan, Baş, and Aşçı (2011), confirming the original three-factor structure. In their study, the Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the subscales were found to be:

Emotional Eating: .90 Restrained Eating: .94 External Eating: .96 These reliability values indicate high internal con
8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Dokuz Eylul University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Gülsüm Zekiye TUNCER, PhD, Dokuz Eylül University

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)

November 2, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

March 30, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

June 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 18, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 20, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

October 22, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

January 6, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 4, 2026

Last Verified

January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 9128-GOA

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

In our ethics approval, it is stated that participant data confidentiality will be ensured. The ethical approval has been obtained in this manner.

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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