title: Randomized trial of a behavioral weight loss intervention for low-income women: the Weight Wise Program.
abstract: Low-income women in the United States have the highest rates of obesity, yet they are seldom included in weight loss trials. To address this research gap, components of two evidence-based weight loss interventions were adapted to create a 16-week intervention for low-income women (Weight Wise Program), which was evaluated in a randomized trial with the primary outcome of weight loss at 5-month follow-up. Participants were low-income women (40-64 years) with a BMI of 25-45. Of 143 participants, 72 were randomized to the Weight Wise Program (WWP) and 71 to the Control Group (CG). Five-month follow-up data were obtained from 64 (89%) WWP and 62 (87%) CG participants. With baseline values carried forward for missing data, WWP participants had a weight change of -3.7 kg compared to 0.7 kg in the CG (4.4 kg difference, 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.2-5.5, P<0.001). For systolic blood pressure (SBP), change in the WWP was -6.5 mm Hg compared to -0.4 mm Hg among controls (6.2 mm Hg difference, 95% CI, 1.7-10.6, P=0.007); for diastolic BP (DBP), changes were -4.1 mm Hg for WWP compared to -1.3 mm Hg for controls (2.8 mm Hg difference, 95% CI, 0.0-5.5, P=0.05). Of the 72 WWP participants, 64, 47, and 19% lost at least 3, 5, and 7% of their initial body weight, respectively. In conclusion, the WWP was associated with statistically significant and clinically important short-term weight loss.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. carmen_samuel@unc.edu
authors.forename: Carmen D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Samuel-Hodge
authors.forename: Larry F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: Ziya
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gizlice
authors.forename: Beverly A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Sara C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lindsley
authors.forename: Kathy P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Bramble
authors.forename: Trisha E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Hardy
authors.forename: Alice S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ammerman
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Poindexter
authors.forename: Julie C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Will
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Keyserling
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D011203:Poverty; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol