title: Comparison of education-only versus group-based intervention in promoting weight loss: a randomised controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the effectiveness of education-only versus group-based intervention in promoting weight loss.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between April and October 2009, a 6-month randomised controlled trial was conducted at Mito Kyodo General Hospital in Japan (UMIN000001259). The participants were 188 overweight adults (145 women, 43 men) aged 40-65 years. They were randomly assigned to one of three groups: control, moderate or intensive intervention. A single motivational lecture was provided to all three groups, educational materials (textbooks, notebooks, and a pedometer) to the moderate and intensive intervention groups, and group-based support to the intensive intervention group. Amount of weight loss was the primary outcome measure. Secondary outcome measures were components of metabolic syndrome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean ± SD weight loss of participants in the control, moderate and intensive intervention groups was 2.9 ± 4.1, 4.7 ± 4.0 and 7.7 ± 4.1 kg, respectively. Bonferroni post-hoc comparisons revealed all between-group differences to be significant (p < 0.05). Waist circumference decreased in the intensive intervention group more than in the other groups, whereas no significant differences were observed in the other secondary outcome measures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Education-only intervention is a cost-effective method to promote weight loss. Adding group-based intervention further promotes weight loss.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan. nakata@md.tsukuba.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakata
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Hirohito
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sone
authors.forename: Kiyoji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D050177:Overweight / Q000628:therapy*; D055105:Waist Circumference; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology