%0 Journal Article
%@ 1438-8871
%I Gunther Eysenbach
%V 12
%N 3
%P e29
%T Associations of Internet Website Use With Weight Change in a Long-term Weight Loss Maintenance Program
%A Funk,Kristine L
%A Stevens,Victor J
%A Appel,Lawrence J
%A Bauck,Alan
%A Brantley,Phillip J
%A Champagne,Catherine M
%A Coughlin,Janelle
%A Dalcin,Arlene T
%A Harvey-Berino,Jean
%A Hollis,Jack F
%A Jerome,Gerald J
%A Kennedy,Betty M
%A Lien,Lillian F
%A Myers,Valerie H
%A Samuel-Hodge,Carmen
%A Svetkey,Laura P
%A Vollmer,William M
%+ Kaiser Permanente, Center for Health Research, 3800 N Interstate Ave., Portland, 97216, USA, 1 503 335 2443, kristine.funk@kpchr.org
%K Weight maintenance
%K Internet
%K intervention
%K weight loss
%K behavioral strategies
%D 2010
%7 27.07.2010
%9 Original Paper
%J J Med Internet Res
%G English
%X Background: The Weight Loss Maintenance Trial (WLM) compared two long-term weight-maintenance interventions, a personal contact arm and an Internet arm, with a no-treatment control after an initial six-month Phase I weight loss program. The Internet arm focused on use of an interactive website for support of long-term weight maintenance. There is limited information about patterns of website use and specific components of an interactive website that might help promote maintenance of weight loss. Objective: This paper presents a secondary analysis of the subset of participants in the Internet arm and focuses on website use patterns and features associated with long-term weight maintenance. Methods: Adults at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) who lost at least 4 kilograms in an initial 20-week group-based, behavioral weight-loss program were trained to use an interactive website for weight loss maintenance. Of the 348 participants, 37% were male and 38% were African American. Mean weight loss was 8.6 kilograms. Participants were encouraged to log in at least weekly and enter a current weight for the 30-month study period. The website contained features that encouraged setting short-term goals, creating action plans, and reinforcing self-management habits. The website also included motivational modules, daily tips, and tailored messages. Based on log-in and weight-entry frequency, we divided participants into three website use categories: consistent, some, and minimal. Results: Participants in the consistent user group (n = 212) were more likely to be older (P = .002), other than African American (P = .02), and more educated (P = .01). While there was no significant difference between website use categories in the amount of Phase I change in body weight (P = .45) or income (P = .78), minimal website users (n = 75) were significantly more likely to have attended fewer Phase I sessions (P = .001) and had a higher initial body mass index (BMI) (P < .001). After adjusting for baseline characteristics including initial BMI, variables most associated with less weight regain included: number of log-ins (P = .001), minutes on the website (P < .001), number of weight entries (P = .002), number of exercise entries (P < .001), and sessions with additional use of website features after weight entry (P = .002). Conclusion: Participants defined as consistent website users of an interactive behavioral website designed to promote maintenance of weight loss were more successful at maintaining long-term weight loss. Trial Registration: NCT00054925; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00054925 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/5rC7523ue) 
%M 20663751
%R 10.2196/jmir.1504
%U http://www.jmir.org/2010/3/e29/
%U https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.1504
%U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20663751