Effect of A Theory-based Multicomponent eHealth Intervention Program

Effect Of A Theory-Based Multicomponent Ehealth Intervention On Weight Self - Stigma, Bodyweight And Quality Of Life Among Overweight And Obese Adults: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

This study is a two-arm pilot randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary effects of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) theory-based mobile application integrated with a smartphone pedometer plus health education on weight self-stigma and lifestyle behaviors among overweight or obese adults.

A total of 60 participants will be recruited and randomized 1:1 to the intervention (ACT-based app + pedometer + health education) or control condition. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline (T0), immediately after intervention (T1), and at 1 month after intervention (T2) and 3 months after intervention (T3) following intervention initiation. The primary outcomes are body weight (weight loss) and weight self-stigma measured; secondary outcomes include eating behavior, physical activity level, and quality of life.

Analyses will include per-protocol evaluation using linear mixed-effects models to test group, time, and group-by-time effects on primary and secondary outcomes, with intention-to-treat analyses conducted as sensitivity analyses using multiple imputation for missing weight and weight self-stigma data.

Findings will inform the design of a future definitive trial and contribute evidence on eHealth approaches to reducing weight-related stigma and supporting healthier lifestyles.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Overweight , Obesity
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Mobile app weight self-stigma program

Detailed Description

Participants will be recruited through flyers, physician referrals, and advertisements in local media outlets and on Facebook. Participants will be screened for eligibility via telephone interviews and in-person conducted by trained researchers, using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Participants will be randomized to participate in the Mapp-WSSP intervention group or a waitlist. The MappWSSP intervention group will receive the "mobile app- weight self-stigma program" consisting of 1) a mobile app lifestyle and weight self-stigma intervention 2) a smartphone app to monitor the steps and 3) deliver a total of eight workshops over four weeks, focusing on diet and weight self-stigma reduction practices. Waitlist control group participants will continue their daily activities until after 3 months, then will be allowed to install the mobile app on their iPhones. Outcome assessment visits occurred at baseline/randomization, immediately after intervention, 1 month, and 3 months after intervention at the community health center. at the community health center. Participants may withdraw from the study at any time without penalty. To ensure data integrity, all study data will undergo double data entry and verification. Collected information will be coded (de-identified) and stored securely. Data quality will be monitored monthly.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Hang T.L. Do, MD; Phone Number: 84989886742; Email: d432112014@tmu.edu.tw
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Hui-Chuan Huang, PhD; Phone Number: 6349 8869872711878; Email: huichuan@tmu.edu.tw

Study Locations

• Vietnam
  • Thai Nguyen
    • Phan Dinh Phung Ward, Thai Nguyen, Vietnam, 250000
      • Phan Dinh Phung Ward Health center
      • Contact: Le Hang T Do, MD; Phone Number: 84989886742; Email: d432112014@tmu.edu.tw

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged 18 to 55 years
• Body mass index (BMI) ≥23 kg/m²
• Weight self-stigma, defined as a Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ) score >36
• Owns or has regular access to a smartphone
• Resides in Phan Dinh Phung municipality, Thai Nguyen Province, Vietnam
• Able to read and write in Vietnamese

Exclusion Criteria:

• Type 1 or type 2 diabetes
• Uncontrolled hypertension, defined as blood pressure ≥160/100 mmHg
• Cardiovascular event, such as stroke or myocardial infarction, within the past year
• Weight loss of ≥5% of initial body weight in the past 3 months or ≥10% in the past 2 years
• Participation in a weight-loss program within the past 3 months
• Cognitive impairment, including a diagnosis of dementia
• Psychiatric condition, including major depression or generalized anxiety disorder
• Current use of weight-loss medication
• History of bariatric surgery
• Unable to perform physical activity
• Engages in ≥150 minutes of structured physical activity per week or >75 minutes of high-intensity exercise per week
• Pregnant or planning pregnancy within the next 6 months

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Mapp-WSSP intervention group; The Mapp-WSSP intervention group will receive the "mobile app- weight self-stigma program" consisting of 1) a mobile app lifestyle and weight self-stigma intervention 2) a smartphone app to monitor the steps and 3) deliver a total of eight workshops over four weeks, focusing on diet and weight self-stigma reduction practices.	Behavioral: Mobile app weight self-stigma program; Participants assigned to the Mapp-WSSP group will receive a mobile app-based lifestyle and weight self-stigma reduction program. The intervention includes: 1) a mobile app providing lifestyle and weight self-stigma intervention content; 2) a smartphone app for step monitoring; and 3) eight workshops delivered over four weeks focusing on diet-related practices and strategies to reduce weight self-stigma.
No Intervention: Waitlist control group; Participants will continue their daily activities until after 3 months, then will be allowed to install the mobile app on their smart phones

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Body weight	Body weight will be measured using a digital body composition scale (Tanita BC-545N) Unit of measure: kilograms (kg)	T0: baseline/randomization; T1: immediately post-intervention; T2: 1 month post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-intervention
Body Mass Index	Height will be measured using the height measurement. Body weight will be measured using a digital scale (Tanita BC 545N). Body mass index (BMI) will be calculated as body weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Unit of measure: kg/m²	T0: baseline/randomization; T1: immediately post-intervention; T2: 1 month post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-intervention.
Waist circumference	Waist circumference will be measured in duplicate to the nearest 0.1 cm using a Gulick tape measure, with participants wearing lightweight clothing. Measurements will be taken horizontally at the level of the iliac crest, and the average of the two measurements will be used. Unit of measure: centimeters (cm)	T0: baseline/randomization; T1: immediately post-intervention; T2: 1 month post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-intervention.
Body composition - Body fat percentage	Body fat percentage will be assessed using a digital bioelectrical impedance body composition analyzer (Tanita BC-545N) Unit of Measure: Percentage (%)	T0: baseline/randomization; T1: immediately post-intervention; T2: 1 month post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-intervention.
Body composition - Body water percentage	Body water percentage will be assessed using a digital bioelectrical impedance body composition analyzer (Tanita BC-545N). Unit of Measure: percentage (%)	T0: baseline/randomization; T1: immediately post-intervention; T2: 1 month post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-intervention.
Body composition - Muscle mass	Muscle mass will be assessed using a digital bioelectrical impedance body composition analyzer (Tanita BC-545N) Unit of Measure: kilograms (kg)	T0: baseline/randomization; T1: immediately post-intervention; T2: 1 month post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-intervention.
Body composition - Visceral fat	Visceral fat rating will be measured using a digital bioelectrical impedance body composition analyzer (Tanita BC-545N). Unit of Measure: Tanita visceral fat rating score	T0: baseline/randomization; T1: immediately post-intervention; T2: 1 month post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-intervention.
Weight Self-Stigma	Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ) developed by Lillis et al. (2010) will be used to measure weight self-stigma. This questionnaire consists of two factors: self-devaluation and fear of enacted stigma, with a total of 12 items. A Likert 5-point scale was employed, where 1 to 5 represent "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree." Higher total scores indicate higher levels of weight self-stigma among participants.	T0: baseline/randomization; T1: immediately post-intervention; T2: 1 month post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-intervention.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Eating behavior	The Mini-EAT (Mini Eating Assessment Tool) is a validated, 9-item dietary screener (Lara-Breitinger et al. 2023) will be used to measure eating behavior. The total score is obtained by summing the individual item scores, with higher scores indicating better adherence to healthy dietary patterns.	T0: baseline/randomization; T1: immediately post-intervention; T2: 1 month post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-intervention
Physical Activity	The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) is an 8-item scale (Tran et al. 2013) will be used to measure physical activity	T0: baseline/randomization; T1: immediately post-intervention; T2: 1 month post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-intervention
Health-related quality of life	Health-related quality of life will be measured using the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). The SF-36 assesses eight domains: physical functioning, role limitations due to physical problems, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role limitations due to emotional problems, and mental health. Higher scores indicate better health-related quality of life.	T0: baseline/randomization; T1: immediately post-intervention; T2: 1 month post-intervention; T3: 3 months post-intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Taipei Medical University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Hui-Chuan Huang, Ph.D, School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): July 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): November 29, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 15, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 6, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 11, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): June 12, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 12, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 11, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Obesity; Quality of Life; Overweight; eHealth; Weight Self-Stigma
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nutrition Disorders; Overnutrition; Body Weight; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Overweight; Obesity
• Other Study ID Numbers: N202604142; D432112014 (Other Identifier: Taipei Medical University)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Individual participant data will not be shared with other researchers, and there is no approved data-sharing plan at this time.

Drug and device information, study documents

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