NCT06067763

Project Health: Enhancing Effectiveness of an Obesity Prevention Program

Enhancing Effectiveness of a Dissonance-Based Obesity Prevention Program: Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Enrolling By Invitation
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 238 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Oregon Research Institute · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 17 Years – 20 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This 2-site effectiveness trial will test whether a brief dissonance-based obesity prevention program delivered in single sex groups combined with food response and attention training will produce significantly larger weight gain prevention effects than an educational video control condition. An effectiveness trial is important to test whether this program reduces risk for unhealthy weight gain when delivered by real world clinicians under ecologically valid conditions, which is an important step toward broad implementation. A secondary aim focuses on eating disorder symptom prevention effects. A sample of 17-20 year olds with weight concerns (N = 120) will be randomized to single sex Project Health groups with food response and attention training or an educational video control condition. Participants will complete assessments at baseline, posttest, and 6- and 12-month follow ups.

Detailed description

In the previous Project Health trial, the investigators found Project Health is most effective when implemented in single sex groups paired with food specific response and attention training. This project will evaluate the effectiveness of this version of the Project Health intervention compared to a video control condition and is an important step toward dissemination. A brief effective obesity prevention program that can be easily, inexpensively, and broadly implemented to late adolescents at risk for excess weight gain, as has been the case with another dissonance-based prevention program, could markedly reduce the prevalence of obesity and associated morbidity and mortality. The program may also have an important secondary benefit of preventing the onset of future eating symptoms and disorders. The study has 2 aims: (1) Test the hypothesis that Project Health implemented in single-sex groups and paired with food response inhibition and attention training produces significantly larger weight gain and overweight/obesity onset prevention effects than an educational video control condition (primary outcome). (2) Test the hypothesis that Project Health implemented in single-sex groups and paired with food response inhibition and attention training produces significantly larger eating disorder symptom prevention effects than an educational video control condition (secondary outcome).

Conditions

• Overweight and Obesity
• Eating Disorders

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Project Health	A brief dissonance-based obesity prevention program delivered in six one-hour weekly sessions.
BEHAVIORAL	Response and Attention Training	Individualized, computerized response and attention training consisting of five separate tasks designed to increase inhibitory control to reduce overeating.
OTHER	The Weight of the Nation	This 2012 documentary discusses the facts and myths about obesity and the impacts of obesity on individuals and the health care system in the United States.

Timeline

• Start date: 2020-01-30
• Primary completion: 2025-07-31
• Completion: 2025-07-31
• First posted: 2023-10-05
• Last updated: 2024-11-21

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United States