Jonah Comstock, mobihealthnews
“A newly published randomized controlled trial study suggests that using mobile devices for self-tracking and feedback could be a cost-effective way to scale successful weight loss programs that include a face-to-face component.
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Background
A challenge in intensive obesity treatment is making care scalable. Little is known about whether the outcome of physician-directed weight loss treatment can be improved by adding mobile technology.
Methods
We conducted a 2-arm, 12-month study (October 1, 2007, through September 31, 2010). Seventy adults (body mass index >25 and ≤40 [calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared]) were randomly assigned either to standard-of-care group treatment alone (standard group) or to the standard and connective mobile technology system (+mobile group). Participants attended biweekly weight loss groups held by the Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic. The +mobile group was provided personal digital assistants to self-monitor diet and physical activity; they also received biweekly coaching calls for 6 months. Weight was measured at baseline and at 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month follow-up.
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David Pittman, MedPage Today
“Using social media and social networks to combat childhood obesity holds promise, but more research is needed to optimize those tools, the American Heart Association (AHA) said.
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Li JS et al, Circulation, 2013
Despite the significant attention and resources committed to the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity, the epidemic shows no sign of abating. Although all children are at risk for obesity, there are marked disparities by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, neighborhood, and access to health care. Any successful approach to addressing the overall burden of obesity must not rely solely on the healthcare system, but must include the implementation of policies that take into account the physical and social environment to change the eating and activity behaviors of children and their families.
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3gdoctor, mHealth Insight
“It’s a surprise to see that Sherry’s started a “grassroots mission” of her own because this idea of only doing something if you have a “real game-changing idea” obviously presupposes that everyone is in a position to know the difference. Perhaps Sherry thinks all these developers actually think they’re just part of some me-too herd, or perhaps Sherry’s never met a entrepreneur who gave it a shot and failed despite having a solid gut feeling that they were doing something “really really game changing”?
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Baranowski T et al, Pediatrics, 129(3)
OBJECTIVE
This naturalistic study tests whether children receiving a new (to them) active video game spontaneously engage in more physical activity than those receiving an inactive video game, and whether the effect would be greater among children in unsafe neighborhoods, who might not be allowed to play outside.
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Farah Jamal, Internet et Santé
“Le 31 mai dernier a été l’occasion pour différents professionnels oeuvrant auprès des jeunes (et des moins jeunes) de se réunir pour le 3ème colloque annuel sur la prévention cardiovasculaire chez les jeunes, organisé dans le cadre de la mission du centre CIRCUIT (Centre pédiatrique d’intervention en prévention et en réadaptation cardiovasculaires).
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Wood GC et al, BMC medical informatics and decision making, 12(1)
BACKGROUND:
The effectiveness of weight loss therapies is commonly measured using body mass index and other obesity-related variables. Although these data are often stored in electronic health records (EHRs) and potentially very accessible, few studies on obesity and weight loss have used data derived from EHRs. We developed processes for obtaining data from the EHR in order to construct a database on patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery.
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Eric Wicklund, Healthcare IT News
“Overweight people who make use of web-based virtual coaches show more commitment to improving their health than those who don’t, according to a new study by the Center for Connected Health and Massachusetts General Hospital.
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Watson A et al, J Med Internet Res, 14(1)
Background:
Addressing the obesity epidemic requires the development of effective, scalable interventions. Pedometers and Web-based programs are beneficial in increasing activity levels but might be enhanced by the addition of nonhuman coaching.
Objectives:
We hypothesized that a virtual coach would increase activity levels, via step count, in overweight or obese individuals beyond the effect observed using a pedometer and website alone.
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Jane Sarasohn-Kahn, Health Populi
“But there are new signs that losing weight and getting fit are going beyond “diets” and food plans: research shows that moving around and getting exercise can help people sustain hard-earned weight loss more than just changing food intake and “dieting.” So the Apple store and Best Buy now allocate shelf space to connected health devices that help people self-track daily life micro-choices.
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Brian Dolan, mobihealthnews
“This week MobiHealthNews launched its latest paid research report, mObesity: How Mobile Tools Could Help Prevent Obesity Through Weight Management Apps and Connected Fitness Devices. The report focuses on the news, challenges, and missteps made by some of the highest profile companies offering connected fitness services today.
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Robert Rowley, EHR Bloggers
“Though recently published, the data in this study were from a decade of observation up through 2008. What we have seen since 2008 has been very significant uptake of Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems
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Chris Gullo, mobihealthnews
“As obesity increasingly becomes a worldwide epidemic, especially within children and adolescent populations, solutions to the problem are poised to become a major focus within mHealth.
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Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY
“College students who used cellphones to monitor calories and physical activity and received personalized feedback about how they were doing dropped significantly more weight than those who didn’t, new research shows.
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Breton ER et al, Translational Behavioral Medicine, 2011
Little is known about how much smartphone apps for weight control adhere to evidence-informed practices. The aim of this study was to review and summarize the content of available weight control apps. Information on content, user rating, and price was extracted from iTunes on September 25, 2009. Apps (n = 204) were coded for adherence to 13 evidence-informed practices for weight control. Latent class analysis was used to identify subgroups of apps based on endorsement practices.
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Chris Gullo, mobihealthnews
“A new study of overweight teens published in the journal Obesity reveals the most effective ways text messages could be used to encourage healthy behavior change in adolescents, reports the LA Times.
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Helen Phung, EHR Bloggers
“Experts are becoming increasingly concerned about the growing number of people in their 20s and 30s coping with type 2 diabetes, which used to be rarely seen in those under 40. A story by Mary Marcus Brophy in USA Today addressed the burgeoning diabetes problem among young adults.
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Beaudoin CE, Hong T. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 2011
Purpose
Research over the past decade has conveyed a dramatic rise in health information seeking via the Internet and articulated various profiles and outcomes of health information seeking. In building upon this research, the current study is innovative in considering predictors of health information seeking by medium, as well as outcomes of health information seeking by medium and by critical demographics.
Methods
OLS regression and logistic regression are conducted on data from a telephone survey of American adults in 2007 (N = 700).
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e-Health-com News
“Bayerische Kinderärzte starten gemeinsam mit Microsoft, der Business Systemhaus AG und der AOK das Onlineportal SynX. Es soll übergewichtigen Kindern und Jugendlichen das Abnehmen erleichtern und einen gesünderen Lebensstil fördern. „Unser Ziel ist ein arztzentriertes Coaching über mindestens ein halbes Jahr“, betont Dr. Gerald Hofner vom Bayerischen Verband der Kinder- und Jugendärzte (BVKJ).
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