Use of Facebook as a Motivating Factor in a Weight-reduction Program for Obese and Overweight Adolescents

Obesity Clinical Trial

Official title:

Use of Facebook as a Motivating Factor in a Weight-reduction Program for Obese and Overweight Adolescents.

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01819376
• Other study ID #: ADOBFB
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: March 2013
• Est. completion date: December 2013

Study information

• Verified date: February 2024
• Source: Hospital San Jose Tec de Monterrey
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine if Facebook can be used as a motivating factor for obese or overweight adolescents in a weight-reduction program.

Description:

This study is a randomized controlled trial. There will be two randomly assigned groups of obese or overweight adolescents (WHO definition). Both groups will be enrolled in a 12 week weight reduction program which includes personal nutritional evaluation and food plan and exercise routine. Follow-up appointments will be held every 3 weeks. One group will be encouraged to update their Facebook status at least once a day, regarding their healthy lifestyle changes (exercise routine, healthy food choice, "checking-in" at the wellness center, kilograms lost, etc). The control group will be asked not to share information about their program on Facebook for 12 weeks. Facebook follow-up will be held by the investigators on the study's Facebook account. Teenagers will be thoroughly explained on how to set the account to a limited profile if they want to. At the end of the program both groups will be compared regarding weight loss and mean BMI.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 26
• Est. completion date: December 2013
• Est. primary completion date: December 2013
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 13 Years to 19 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adolescents between 13 and 19 years old.

• Obese or overweight according to the IOTF.

• No physical or medical impediment for performing physical activity.

• No risk for eating disorders (SCOFF questionnaire).

• Report less than 20 minutes of physical activity per day.

• Have an active Facebook account and use it more than 20 minutes per day.

• Low-risk in the Gatehouse Bullying Scale.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Physical or medical impediment for performing physical activity.

• Answer "yes" at least twice on the SCOFF questionnaire.

• Report more than 20 minutes of exercise per day.

• Not having an active Facebook account or using it less than 20 minutes per day.

• "High Risk" on the Gatehouse Bullying Scale.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Obesity
• Overweight
• Weight Loss

Intervention

Other:
• Facebook Status Update

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Mexico	Instituto de Bienestar Integral	Monterrey	Nuevo Leon

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Hospital San Jose Tec de Monterrey

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Mexico, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	BMI	Body Mass Index	12 weeks
Secondary	Positive Feedback	Positive feedback ("likes", positive comments) will be evaluated and related to BMI reduction.	12 weeks