Trial reportHealth psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association2020
A randomized controlled trial of a theory-based weight-loss program for couples.
Trial report in Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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
18 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 38 citations in OpenAlex.
- Dyad and group-based interventions in physical activity, diet, and weight loss: a systematic review of the evidence.Journal of behavioral medicine · 2024Pooled it
- The effectiveness of social-support-based weight-loss interventions-a systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of obesity (2005) · 2024Pooled it
- The Role of Household Social Support and Undermining in Dietary Change.International journal of behavioral medicine · 2026Trial
- Outcomes from Partner2Lose: a randomized controlled trial to evaluate 24-month weight loss in a partner-assisted intervention.BMC public health · 2024Trial
- Self-control and grit: associations with weight management and healthy habits.Journal of behavioral medicine · 2024Trial
- Autonomy support in a couples weight loss trial: Helping yourself while helping others.Families, systems & health : the journal of collaborative family healthcare · 2022Trial
- When a Partner Supports Your Sexual Autonomy: Perceived Partner Sexual Autonomy Support, Need Fulfillment, and Satisfaction in Romantic Relationships.Personality & social psychology bulletin · 2026Article
- Understanding the selection of support partners in a behavioral weight loss program.Psychology & health · 2025Article
- What works for men? Participant perspectives from a mixed-gender weight-management trial with incentives.Contemporary clinical trials communications · 2025Article
- Romantic partner undermining in a behavioral weight loss intervention.Journal of behavioral medicine · 2025Article
- Applying the Social Cognitive Theory to Design a Health Education Program on Weight-Loss Behaviors Among Police Officers: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Obesity science & practice · 2025Article
- Couples-based health behavior change interventions: A relationship science perspective on the unique opportunities and challenges to improve dyadic health.Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology · 2024Article
- Mixed-methods research of motivational processes in workers' adoption of healthy behavior.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Early and slow weight loss responders' perceptions of an adaptive diabetes prevention trial: A qualitative perspective.Health education journal · 2023Article
- Quantifying weight loss program preferences of men working in trade and labor occupations: A discrete choice experiment.Obesity science & practice · 2023Article
- Perceptions of Weight Change Among Romantic Partners: Considering Body Image, Relationship Experiences, Gender, and Sexual Orientation.Frontiers in global women's health · 2022Article
- Dyadic Disruption Theory.Social and personality psychology compass · 2021Article
- Protocol for Partner2Lose: A randomized controlled trial to evaluate partner involvement on long-term weight loss.Contemporary clinical trials · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 6 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveWeight gain occurs during marriage, yet obesity treatment is focused on individuals. Outcomes may be improved by targeting joint weight loss and the interpersonal milieu that fosters spousal interdependence. Self-determination theory (SDT) posits that autonomy-supportive environments (e.g., promote meaningful choice, minimize control) produce better health outcomes. This trial tested an SDT-informed weight-loss intervention intended to facilitate autonomy support in couples.
methodSixty-four couples were randomized to standard behavioral weight loss (BWL) that couples attended together or to a SDT-informed weight-loss intervention (SDT-WL) that aimed to bolster autonomy support (AS). Groups met weekly for 6 months with assessments at 0, 3, 6, and 12 months.
resultsPercent weight loss at 6 and 12 months was 10.4% ± 6.5% and 9.2% ± 8.2%. No differences were observed between the BWL and SDT-WL conditions in percent weight loss or changes in AS. Across conditions, higher baseline AS predicted greater weight loss at 6 and 12 months (ps <.001). Increases in AS over time predicted greater weight loss at 6 and 12 months (ps ≤ .02). Post hoc moderation analysis indicated that only participants with low (but not high) baseline AS achieved greater gains in AS at 12 months in SDT-WL than in the BWL conditions (p < .02).
conclusionsAlthough no differences were found between conditions on weight loss or changes in autonomy support behavior, autonomy support from one's spouse predicted weight loss in both couples-based weight-loss approaches. For couples with low levels of AS, an SDT-informed approach was effective at increasing this desirable interpersonal behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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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.