ArticleObesity science & practice2017
Distance learning strategies for weight management utilizing online social networks versus group phone conference call.
Article in Obesity science & practice, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 20 citations in OpenAlex.
- Identifying Social Media-Based Interactions That Help Adults to Adhere to Weight Loss Goals: A Systematic Review.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2026Pooled it
- The effectiveness and usability of online, group-based interventions for people with severe obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of obesity (2005) · 2025Pooled it
- Social media-based interventions for adults with obesity and overweight: a meta-analysis and meta-regression.International journal of obesity (2005) · 2023Pooled it
- The Role of FacebookInternational journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- The effect of social media interventions on physical activity and dietary behaviours in young people and adults: a systematic review.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2021Pooled it
- Behavioural interventions delivered through interactive social media for health behaviour change, health outcomes, and health equity in the adult population.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Behavior Change Techniques Included in Reports of Social Media Interventions for Promoting Health Behaviors in Adults: Content Analysis Within a Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2020Pooled it
- Remote delivery of a weight management intervention for adults with intellectual disabilities: Results from a randomized non-inferiority trial.Disability and health journal · 2024Trial
- Trial
- Article
- Telehealth Technologies in Diabetes Self-management and Education.Journal of diabetes science and technology · 2024Review
- Moving Food Assistance into the Digital Age: A Scoping Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Use of Fitbit Devices in Physical Activity Intervention Studies Across the Life Course: Narrative Review.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2021Review
- Remotely Delivered Interventions for Obesity Treatment.Current obesity reports · 2019Review
- Clinic Versus Online Social Network-Delivered Lifestyle Interventions: Protocol for the Get Social Noninferiority Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2017Article
- Distance learning strategies for weight management utilizing online social networks versus group phone conference call.Obesity science & practice · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveThe increase in technology and online social networks (OSNs) may present healthcare providers with an innovative modality for delivering weight management programmes that could have an impact on health care at the population level. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of using an OSN to deliver a weight loss programme to inform future, large-scale trials.
methodsSeventy individuals (age = 47 ± 12.4, minority = 24.3%) with obesity (BMI = 36.2 ± 4.0) completed a 6-month weight loss intervention and were randomized to either a conference call or OSN delivery group. Weight loss was achieved by reducing energy intake by 500-700 kcal·d
resultsConference call and OSN groups produced clinically meaningful weight loss of ≥5% from baseline to 6 months (phone = -6.3 ± 6.4%, OSN = -5.8 ± 6.7%). There was no significant difference in weight change between groups (
conclusionThe phone and OSN groups met the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology/The Obesity Society's Guidelines by reducing baseline weight by 5-10% within 6 months. OSNs appear to be a viable delivery platform for weight loss interventions; however, larger scale adequately powered trials are needed.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.