Adherence to mobile-app-based dietary self-monitoring-Impact on weight loss in adults.

Objectives: Greater dietary self-monitoring adherence is associated with weight loss, however, the dietary self-monitoring adherence criteria that predict weight loss are unknown. The criteria used to define adherence to dietary self-monitoring in obesity treatment tend to vary, particularly in studies that include dietary self-monitoring via mobile applications (apps). The objectives of this study were to (a) determine weight change outcomes related to app-based dietary self-monitoring and (b) determine the associations between the frequency, consistency, and completeness of dietary self-monitoring and weight change.
Methods: In this single-arm uncontrolled prospective study, employees at a large, urban health system who had overweight or obesity self-monitored dietary intake for 8 weeks using the Calorie Counter by FatSecret app. A paired sample t -test examined the association of app-based dietary self-monitoring and weight change; linear regression examined the associations of frequent, consistent, and complete dietary self-monitoring and weight change.
Results: A significant mean difference [ t (89) = 6.59, p  < 0.001] was found between baseline and 8-week weight ( M  = -1.5 ± 2.1 kg) in the sample ( N  = 90). Linear regression revealed a significant association [ F (1, 88) = 7.18, p  = 0.009] between total weeks of consistent dietary self-monitoring ( M  = 4.4 ± 2.8) and percent weight loss ( M  = -1.54% ± 2.26%), and a significant association [ F (1, 88) = 6.42, p  = 0.013] between dietary self-monitoring frequency ( M  = 50.1% ± 33.3%) and percent weight loss. The total weeks of complete dietary self-monitoring ( M =  3.42 ± 2.87) was not associated [ F (1, 88) = 3.57, p  = 0.062] with percent weight loss.
Conclusions: Consistent and frequent app-based dietary self-monitoring were associated with short-term weight loss. Emphasizing these aspects of self-monitoring may be an avenue for decreasing the burden of self-monitoring.
Competing Interests: The authors declared no conflict of interest.
(© 2021 The Authors. Obesity Science & Practice published by World Obesity and The Obesity Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)