BrainWeighve App Feasibility Study

Description

Aim 1: To develop a smartphone app aimed at reducing over-eating behaviors among adolescents with obesity based on the theory that addictive behaviors are driven by a displacement mechanism in the brain. Based on displacement theory, over-eating and associated weight gain are the result of situations that individuals feel they cannot successfully face nor avoid. App development will include input from various stakeholders including obesity medicine specialists, pediatric clinicians, psychologists, and individuals living with obesity.

Aim 2: To test and modify the app through an iterative process; one group of 8 teens will beta test the app for three weeks each and provide quantitative and qualitative data used to make changes which facilitate usability and engagement.

Aim 3: Evaluate the feasibility of the app among 30 adolescents (15F;15M) to identify barriers and facilitators to its implementation. We will measure (a) adherence to daily app use with particular focus on the participant’s identification of a “Dread List” and the implementation of “Action Plans” aimed at ameliorating stressful situations identified in the list, (b) quantity (#hours per participant) and quality (type and frequency of team member engagement per participant) of support required to promote adherence, (c) satisfaction with the app intervention (qualitative assessment of satisfaction rates, exit interviews, reason for dropouts), and (d) assessment burden. This knowledge will inform the refinement of the intervention for the subsequent larger trial.

Aim 4: Preliminary assessment of the impact of app engagement and usage on clinical outcome measures (weight and BMI, diet and snacking, and addictive behaviors related to food and substance use) and potential mediators/moderators (motivation for change, perceived stress, and distress tolerance).

Hypothesis 1: More engagement with and use of the app will be related to better clinical outcomes; specifically, participants more engaged in the app will show reductions in weight and BMI, over-eating behaviors (self-reported diet recall and snacking), and overall addictive behaviors.

Hypothesis 2: Participants with greater motivation, lower perceived stress, and greater distress tolerance at intake will engage more with the app and have better clinical outcomes; also, those who engage with and use the app more will exhibit increased motivation, lowered perceived stress, and greater distress tolerance which will in turn result in better clinical outcomes.