Usage analysis of engagement in an online weight-management intervention
Usage analysis of engagement in an online weight-management intervention
Background: online interventions have the potential to provide support for weight management, but engagement is typically limited. Positive Online Weight Management Plus (POWeR+) is an automated online intervention to support weight management based on the principles of self-determination theory. It succeeded in aiding weight loss over a period of 12 months.
Aims: to investigate patterns of engagement throughout the intervention, and to investigate associations between engagement with intervention components and outcomes.
Methods: POWeR+ consisted of 25 online informational sessions and a weekly weight, eating and physical activity goal review which could be completed for up to a year. 536 participants were randomised to an intervention group and their usage was objectively recorded by the website. An online tool designed to create visualisations of large usage datasets, and statistical analysis was used to explore overall patterns of usage
Findings: good user engagement was observed throughout the intervention. High usage was prompted by factors such as email reminders and unlocking new content in timed stages. Particularly promising engagement was observed in the self-regulatory goal setting module, with a mean of 10.72 (SD=12.60) weekly goal reviews completed, indicating habit formation. Engagement with goal review was higher in participants whose subjective perceptions of having met goals was high. Number of goal reviews completed and number of sessions started was positively associated with weight loss.
Discussion: the analysis provides encouraging confirmation that there is an association between engagement and behavioural outcomes. It highlights the potential for linking specific intervention components, and therefore theory, to outcomes.
Steele, Mary
dd7833c4-c04c-495c-aa9a-b23e01a89762
Bradbury, Kat
94444241-3954-4939-9909-e5b81a9e682a
Ainsworth, Ben
b02d78c3-aa8b-462d-a534-31f1bf164f81
Little, Paul
1bf2d1f7-200c-47a5-ab16-fe5a8756a777
Stuart, Beth
a51c80d3-5855-4672-b24f-8c65fd2e1444
Yardley, Lucy
64be42c4-511d-484d-abaa-f8813452a22e
31 December 2016
Steele, Mary
dd7833c4-c04c-495c-aa9a-b23e01a89762
Bradbury, Kat
94444241-3954-4939-9909-e5b81a9e682a
Ainsworth, Ben
b02d78c3-aa8b-462d-a534-31f1bf164f81
Little, Paul
1bf2d1f7-200c-47a5-ab16-fe5a8756a777
Stuart, Beth
a51c80d3-5855-4672-b24f-8c65fd2e1444
Yardley, Lucy
64be42c4-511d-484d-abaa-f8813452a22e
Steele, Mary, Bradbury, Kat, Ainsworth, Ben, Little, Paul, Stuart, Beth and Yardley, Lucy
(2016)
Usage analysis of engagement in an online weight-management intervention.
The European Health Psychologist, 18 (Supplement).
Abstract
Background: online interventions have the potential to provide support for weight management, but engagement is typically limited. Positive Online Weight Management Plus (POWeR+) is an automated online intervention to support weight management based on the principles of self-determination theory. It succeeded in aiding weight loss over a period of 12 months.
Aims: to investigate patterns of engagement throughout the intervention, and to investigate associations between engagement with intervention components and outcomes.
Methods: POWeR+ consisted of 25 online informational sessions and a weekly weight, eating and physical activity goal review which could be completed for up to a year. 536 participants were randomised to an intervention group and their usage was objectively recorded by the website. An online tool designed to create visualisations of large usage datasets, and statistical analysis was used to explore overall patterns of usage
Findings: good user engagement was observed throughout the intervention. High usage was prompted by factors such as email reminders and unlocking new content in timed stages. Particularly promising engagement was observed in the self-regulatory goal setting module, with a mean of 10.72 (SD=12.60) weekly goal reviews completed, indicating habit formation. Engagement with goal review was higher in participants whose subjective perceptions of having met goals was high. Number of goal reviews completed and number of sessions started was positively associated with weight loss.
Discussion: the analysis provides encouraging confirmation that there is an association between engagement and behavioural outcomes. It highlights the potential for linking specific intervention components, and therefore theory, to outcomes.
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Published date: 31 December 2016
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 470474
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/470474
ISSN: 2225-6962
PURE UUID: a6b8403a-3d3e-4c18-a2fd-30a8f266f2d6
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Date deposited: 11 Oct 2022 16:40
Last modified: 23 Feb 2023 03:03
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Contributors
Author:
Mary Steele
Author:
Kat Bradbury
Author:
Ben Ainsworth
Author:
Beth Stuart
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