title: Use of a mobile phone diary for observing weight management and related behaviours.
abstract: We studied self-observations related to weight management recorded with a Wellness Diary application on a mobile phone. The data were recorded by 27 participants in a 12-week study, which included a short weight management lecture followed by independent usage of the Wellness Diary. We studied the validity of self-observed weight, and behavioural changes and weight patterns related to weight management success. Self-observed weight data tended to underestimate pre- and poststudy measurements, but there were high correlations between the measures (r >or= 0.80). The amount of physical activity correlated significantly with weight loss (r = 0.44) as did different measures representing healthy changes in dietary behaviours (r >or= 0.45). Weight changes and the weekly rhythms of weight indicated a strong tendency to compensate for high-risk periods among successful weight-losers compared to unsuccessful ones. These preliminary results suggest that the mobile phone diary is a valid tool for observing weight management and related behaviours.
authors.affiliation: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Tekniikankatu 1, Tampere, Finland. elina.m.mattila@vtt.fi
authors.forename: Elina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mattila
authors.forename: Raimo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lappalainen
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pärkkä
authors.forename: Jukka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salminen
authors.forename: Ilkka
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Korhonen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D040421:Cell Phone; D015930:Diet Records; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*