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Acceptability, Feasibility, and Preliminary Efficacy of Emphasizing Peer Relationships in a Facebook-based Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention for College Students

Anderson, LaNaya Marie
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1640254310108158

Abstract Details

2022, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, Psychology/Clinical.
Approximately 37% of college students are overweight or obese (American College Health Association, 2021), and as a result, may face adverse health consequences (Kopelman, 2007) and psychosocial consequences (Wyatt, Winters & Dubbert, 2006). Despite college students’ need and reported desire to lose weight to avoid the short and long-term consequences of obesity, standard behavioral weight loss treatments designed for adult populations have not proven to be as effective with a college student population (Plotnikoff et al., 2015). Some studies have explored ways to adapt the standard behavioral weight loss treatment (BWL) to college students and emerging adult populations, with some success (e.g., Gokee-Larose et al., 2019; Napolitano et al., 2013). The purpose of the current study was to replicate an adapted standard BWL treatment to a college student population and improve upon it by adding an emphasis on peer interaction with the aim of increasing social support and treatment engagement. As an early stage of treatment development, the current study aimed to assess the treatments’ feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy using a randomized-control format. Eighty college students were enrolled and randomized into one of three arms, waitlist control (n = 26), the replicated adapted BWL treatment, HEAT (n = 26), and the adapted BWL treatment with an emphasis on peer interaction, HEAT-PEER (n = 28). There were significant differences between the groups on all weight-related variables. The HEAT group appeared acceptable and somewhat efficacious with an average weight loss of 3.83 pounds, but it was not feasible, with only 46% of participants meeting intervention completion standards. The HEAT-PEER group also appeared to be acceptable, was more efficacious with an average weight loss of 9.10 pounds, and feasible, with 89% of participants meeting intervention completion standards. Secondary analyses on treatment engagement, peer interaction, and behavioral changes were also assessed. Results indicate that adding an emphasis on peer interaction to an adapted BWL treatment is feasible, acceptable, and preliminarily efficacious and may provide benefits beyond those found in previous research with a college student population.
Abby Braden, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Stephen Demuth, Ph.D. (Other)
Dara Musher-Eizenman, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Catherine Stein, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
121 p.
Behavioral Psychology; Clinical Psychology; Experimental Psychology; Experiments; Health; Psychology; Therapy
weight loss; behavioral weight loss; weight; exercise; healthy eating; college students; BWL; emerging adults; Facebook

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Anderson, L. M. (2022). Acceptability, Feasibility, and Preliminary Efficacy of Emphasizing Peer Relationships in a Facebook-based Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention for College Students [Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1640254310108158

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Anderson, LaNaya. Acceptability, Feasibility, and Preliminary Efficacy of Emphasizing Peer Relationships in a Facebook-based Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention for College Students. 2022. Bowling Green State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1640254310108158.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Anderson, LaNaya. "Acceptability, Feasibility, and Preliminary Efficacy of Emphasizing Peer Relationships in a Facebook-based Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention for College Students." Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University, 2022. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1640254310108158

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1640254310108158
87
© 2022, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License Acceptability, Feasibility, and Preliminary Efficacy of Emphasizing Peer Relationships in a Facebook-based Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention for College Students by LaNaya Marie Anderson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.