Positive Online Weight Reduction (POWeR): a trial comparing access to an online weight management intervention to access to an online weight management intervention with brief telephone coaching.
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN98176068 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN98176068 |
| Secondary identifying numbers | N/A |
- Submission date
- 17/04/2012
- Registration date
- 23/05/2012
- Last edited
- 01/04/2014
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Nutritional, Metabolic, Endocrine
Plain English Summary
Background and Study Aims:
POWeR stands for Positive Online Weight Reduction. It is a website based weight management programme, developed by researchers and health professionals at the University of Southampton.
The current project will look at if and how POWeR is used and whether it helps people to lose weight. It will also explore the role of brief telephone calls with a weight management coach in getting people to use the online programme and to lose weight.
Who can participate?
The study is open to adults who are overweight and who have access to the internet on a regular basis. People who are interested in the study can find out more at www.power-northeast.org. They will need to answer some quick questions online to check that POWeR will be suitable for them before they can sign up.
What does the study involve?
Participants first complete some brief online questionnaires. Then the website will randomly choose whether the participant has
1. Immediate access to POWeR
2. Immediate access to POWeR plus two brief telephone coaching sessions
3. Access to POWeR after 8 weeks
The POWeR website is a series of online modules which the participant is encouraged to complete on a weekly basis. The POWeR intervention guides and supports users in changing their eating and physical activity. There are no strict dietary or exercise prescriptions; participants set themselves achievable, graded goals. Every session comprises self-monitoring, goal setting and tailored feedback on progress. Additional content of sessions are around topics such as fitting weight mangement into daily life, emotional triggers for eating and gaining social support. Each session ends with personalised links to good online sources of information and advice about different aspects of weight managment. Skills and strategies developed in the sessions are saved for the user to access later; their 'POWeR tools'. After 8 weeks all participants will be sent an email asking them to complete some questionnaires about their weight and their experiences of using POWeR. Some users will be invited to talk to the researchers on their phone in detail about how they got on with POWeR.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Participants who follow the POWeR programme are likely to lose weight in a safe and gradual way. Risks to participants are not expected. Potential users with serious health problems will be asked to check with their GP about the suitability of making dietary and exercise changes before making such changes. Participants will be directed to their GP in the case of any health concerns arising during the study.
Where is the study run from?
From the University of Southampton but people take part via a website so can do this from home.
Who is funding the study?
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
When is study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
The project starts in May 2012 and is expected to run until the end of September 2012.
Who is the main contact
Dr Laura Dennison
L.K.Dennison@soton.ac.uk
www.power-northeast.org [URL will work from June 2012 onwards]
Contact information
Scientific
Academic Unit of Psychology
University of Southampton
Highfield campus
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
United Kingdom
Study information
| Study design | Randomised controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Interventional |
| Secondary study design | Randomised controlled trial |
| Study setting(s) | Other |
| Study type | Treatment |
| Participant information sheet | www.power-northeast.org |
| Scientific title | A randomised controlled trial of usage of an online weight management intervention by overweight/obese adults with and without human telephone support. |
| Study acronym | POWeR |
| Study hypothesis | Does adherence to/engagement with a web weight management intervention, significantly increase due to the addition of minimal telephone-based human support? This study explores uptake, usage, adherence and attrition within a web-based weight management programme when delivered with and without brief telephone-based human support |
| Ethics approval(s) | University of Southampton Ethics Committee, 17 April 2012, ref: 1654 |
| Condition | Overweight/obesity |
| Intervention | Participants have 8 weeks either Web only, Web plus coach support or control group. They are then followed up and complete self-report questionnaires. Web Only This group will be given immediate access to the POWeR website. The POWeR website is a series of online modules which the participant is encouraged to complete on a weekly basis. The POWeR intervention guides and supports users in changing their eating and physical activity. Every session comprises self-monitoring, goal setting and tailored feedback on progress. Additional content of sessions are around topics such as fitting weight mangement into daily life, emotional triggers for eating and gaining social support. Each session concludes with personalised links to good online sources of information and advice about different aspects of weight managment. Skills and strategies developed in the sessions are saved for the user to access later; their 'POWeR tools'. Participants in this arm receive no human contact from the POWeR intervention. Web + coach support This group will be given immediate access to the POWeR website (described above). Participants in this arm also receive two brief telephone calls from a POWeR coach at week 1 and week 5. Control group (waiting list with delayed Web access) This group will be given no intervention for 8 weeks. Participants in this arm will be given access to the POWeR website after 8 weeks. |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure | Participants use of POWeR weight management website (objective data, recorded by the online intervention): 1. Number of POWeR goal review sessions completed 2. Time spent on POWeR website (minutes) 3. Number of log-ons |
| Secondary outcome measures | Self-reported weight loss between baseline and 8 weeks (kilograms) |
| Overall study start date | 01/05/2012 |
| Overall study end date | 30/09/2012 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Patient |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Lower age limit | 18 Years |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | 759 |
| Participant inclusion criteria | 1. Adults, aged 18 or older 2. Self-reported BMI >23 3. UK resident 4. Able to access the internet on a regular basis 5. Able and willing to weigh self once per week |
| Participant exclusion criteria | Potential participants with health conditions that influence their diet or physical activity are advised to check with their GP before taking part |
| Recruitment start date | 01/05/2012 |
| Recruitment end date | 30/09/2012 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- England
- United Kingdom
Study participating centre
SO17 1BJ
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
University/education
c/o Dr Martina Prude
Highfield Campus
Research Governance Office
Corporate Services
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
England
United Kingdom
| Website | http://www.southampton.ac.uk/ |
|---|---|
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/01ryk1543 |
Funders
Funder type
Research organisation
No information available
Government organisation / National government
- Alternative name(s)
- UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council - UKRI, EPSRC
- Location
- United Kingdom
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Not provided at time of registration |
| Publication and dissemination plan | Not provided at time of registration |
| IPD sharing plan |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results article | results | 28/03/2014 | Yes | No |
