Duration of Treatment in a Weight Loss Program Using a Mobile App is Associated with Successful Weight Loss During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Yu-Cheng Cheng; Hsiu-Chen Liu; Chiann-Yi Hsu; I-Te Lee

doi:10.2147/DMSO.S368608

Duration of Treatment in a Weight Loss Program Using a Mobile App is Associated with Successful Weight Loss During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2022 Jun 9:15:1737-1747. doi: 10.2147/DMSO.S368608. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Yu-Cheng Cheng^{1

2}, Hsiu-Chen Liu³, Chiann-Yi Hsu⁴, I-Te Lee^{1

2

5}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, 407, Taiwan.
² School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan.
³ Department of Nursing, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, 407, Taiwan.
⁴ Biostatistics Task Force of Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, 407, Taiwan.
⁵ School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, 402, Taiwan.

Abstract

Purpose: We aimed to explore the independent factors associated with successful weight loss using a mobile app during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Patients and methods: For this retrospective cohort study, we collected data from 45 adults in a weight loss program using a mobile app. We defined successful weight loss as a weight reduction by ≥ 5% of the baseline weight. Multivariate logistic analysis was used to assess potential factors influencing successful weight loss.

Results: All subjects showed a mean 4.1 ± 4.4 kg reduction of baseline weight after using the app for a mean duration of 11 weeks (P < 0.001). Subjects in the successful weight loss group displayed a longer duration of treatment (14.6 ± 6.5 weeks vs 6.9 ± 6.0 weeks, P < 0.001), greater number of dietary records (109.2 ± 84.7 vs 54.7 ± 58.8, P = 0.002), and greater number of outpatient visits (6.1 ± 2.7 vs 3.7 ± 2.3, P < 0.001) than those in the unsuccessful weight loss group. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that duration of treatment was an independent factor associated with successful weight loss (odds ratio = 1.23, 95% confidence interval: 1.08-1.41, P = 0.003).

Conclusion: In a weight management program using a mobile app during the COVID-19 pandemic, the duration of treatment was found to be an independent factor of successful weight loss.

Keywords: COVID-19; diet tracking; mobile app; person-to-person feedback; real-life practice; weight loss.