A Pilot Goal-Oriented Episodic Future Thinking Weight Loss Intervention for Low-Income Overweight or Obese Young Mothers

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 15; no. 13; p. 3023
• Main Authors: Chang, Mei-Wei, Tan, Alai, Wegener, Duane T., Lee, Rebecca E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 03.07.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: added sugars; Body mass index; Consent; Diabetes; Executive function; Female; Fruit; fruits; Goals; Health care; Humans; Internet; Lifestyles; Low income groups; Mothers - psychology; Motivation; Nutrition; Obesity; Obesity - psychology; Obesity - therapy; Overweight; Overweight - psychology; Overweight - therapy; Peers; self-efficacy; Stress management; t-test; Type 2 diabetes; vegetable consumption; Weight control; Weight Loss; Womens health; emotion control; stress; low-income women; self-efficacy; weight loss; autonomous motivation; obesity
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu15133023

Background. Episodic future thinking (EFT) has shown efficacy in laboratory settings. We conducted a pilot goal-oriented EFT (GoEFT) intervention in a real-world setting to help low-income overweight or obese mothers lose weight. This paper presents intervention acceptability and efficacy. Methods. The study used a single-group, before–after design. During the 3-week intervention, participants (N = 15) completed weekly web-based lessons and online health coaching sessions to manage stress and emotion, eat healthier, and be more physically active. Participants completed online surveys at baseline and immediately after the intervention. They also completed an interview to evaluate intervention acceptability. We applied paired t-tests to evaluate efficacy and used content analysis to discover interview themes. Results. Participants consistently identified the intervention as acceptable, noting the usefulness of pre-written goals, GoEFT strategies, and goal progress evaluations. The intervention effectively promoted weight loss (d = −0.69), fruit and vegetable intake (d = 0.45–0.49), and emotion control (d = 0.71). It also reduced fat (d = −0.51) and added sugar intake (d = −0.48) and alleviated stress (d = −0.52). Moreover, the intervention increased autonomous motivation (d = 0.75–0.88) and self-efficacy (d = 0.46–0.61). Conclusion. The GoEFT intervention was acceptable to participants, showing strong preliminary efficacy.