Improving obesity treatment through online motivational support in primary care

TL;DR

Using an online Facebook support group with regular in-person visits helped patients lose weight and feel more confident in managing obesity.

Contribution

This study shows that combining online motivational support with routine care improves obesity treatment outcomes in primary care.

Findings

Patients lost an average of 9.46 lbs and showed significant BMI and waist circumference reductions.

Self-efficacy and motivation for healthy eating improved across 7 of 8 domains measured.

The low-cost digital tool proved feasible for enhancing obesity care in resource-limited settings.

Abstract

Obesity is a complex, chronic disease requiring time-intensive, multifaceted management strategies that are often difficult to implement in primary care. This quality improvement project aimed to evaluate whether the integration of an online motivational support group via Facebook, in addition to routine monthly office visits, could enhance obesity treatment outcomes and patient motivation in a primary care setting. As a nurse practitioner driven project, nurse practitioners have the training to make significant improvements in the area of obesity treatment. Nurse practitioners are key in providing patients with education and tools to help patients lose weight and maintain successful weight loss (Fruh, 2017) [1].

This was a quality improvement project using a pre-post design conducted at a private outpatient internal medicine clinic. Adult patients (n = 68) with a BMI ≥30 or ≥25 with comorbidities were enrolled. Participants joined a Facebook-based support group and received standardized education and monthly in-person follow-up for 12 weeks. Outcomes measured before and after the intervention included weight, BMI, waist circumference, and responses to the Weight Efficacy Lifestyle Questionnaire-Short Form (WEL-SF). Paired t-tests were used for statistical analysis.

Statistically significant improvements were observed in weight (−9.46 lbs, p < 0.0001), BMI (−1.91, p < 0.0001), and waist circumference (−1.87 inches, p < 0.0001). WEL-SF scores improved significantly in 7 of 8 domains, with an average increase of 11.8 %, indicating enhanced self-efficacy and motivation for healthy eating behaviors.

The integration of an online motivational support platform with monthly in-office visits significantly improved physiologic outcomes and patient self-efficacy in managing obesity. These findings support the feasibility and potential benefit of low-cost digital support tools in augmenting outpatient obesity care, particularly in settings with limited resources. Further research should explore the impact of engagement level and long-term outcomes.

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