NCT05587790

EMPOWER Rural Extension Weight Management Pilot Study

EMPOWER Weight Loss Program for Obesity in Rural and Underserved Areas Pilot Study

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 16 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 75 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This research is to expand a virtual weight loss and weight maintenance program to rural counties of Illinois. The program uses dietary and lifestyle modifications for adults with obesity. The EMPOWER weight loss program has proven to be effective in 3 previous trials. In this research, we target a rural participant population. Individuals in rural locations are more likely to be affected by obesity and have unique barriers to weight loss related to geographic isolation including access to health care, preventative care, grocery stores, social networks, internet, and cell service.

Detailed description

EMPOWER is a remote weight management program that uses an online textbook platform, E-Text, and mobile web application, MealPlot. This pilot study will test for feasibility of the EMPOWER program in a rural population prior to launching a full-scale study. Acceptability measurements will be collected at 3 months to evaluate for needed changes; Participants of the pilot study will be permitted to continue on with the full program. EMPOWER is a 1-year intervention. Data is collected via 24-hour record and daily weighing using a Wi-Fi-enabled scale. 24-hour records and daily weights are collected within the program's proprietary MealPlot website. EMPOWER consists of 17 online sessions (45 minutes/each) and 12 individual advising sessions with a nutrition coach.

Conditions

• Obesity
• Overweight
• Weight Loss

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Weight Management Intervention	Participants attend virtual dietary education sessions and over time create a diet plan that satisfies their individual needs. Participants aim to lose 1-2 pounds weekly until a BMI of 25 is reached. Participants are evaluated through daily self-weighing, dietary records, and anthropometric measures of waist and hip circumference, and body composition.

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-05-09
• Primary completion: 2023-05-15
• Completion: 2023-05-23
• First posted: 2022-10-20
• Last updated: 2025-04-02

Locations

3 sites across 1 country: United States