title: Wearable devices and mobile technologies for supporting behavioral weight loss among people with serious mental illness.
abstract: Promoting physical activity is essential for addressing elevated cardiovascular risk and high obesity rates affecting people with serious mental illness. Numerous challenges interfere with exercise participation in this high-risk group including mental health symptoms, low motivation, and limited access to safe and affordable options for physical activity. Wearable devices and mobile health technologies may afford new opportunities for promoting physical activity and supporting behavioral weight loss efforts. This exploratory study examined whether daily step count measured using Fitbit wearable devices was associated with weight loss and improved fitness among individuals with serious mental illness enrolled in a 6-month lifestyle program. Participants (n=34) had a schizophrenia spectrum disorder (23.5%), major depression (50.0%), or bipolar disorder (26.5%), and wore Fitbits most of the days (M=86.2%; SD=18.4%) they were enrolled in the study. At 6-months, higher average daily step count was associated with greater weight loss (F=5.07; df=1,32; p=0.0314), but not improved fitness (F=1.92; df=1,31; p=0.176). These findings demonstrate that encouraging participants with serious mental illness enrolled in lifestyle interventions to collect more steps may contribute to greater weight loss. This suggests that wearable devices may offer a feasible and potentially effective strategy for supporting behavioral weight loss in community mental health settings.
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion Research Center at Dartmouth, 46 Centerra Parkway, Lebanon, NH 03766, United States; The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH, United States. Electronic address: john.a.naslund@gmail.com.
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Naslund
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion Research Center at Dartmouth, 46 Centerra Parkway, Lebanon, NH 03766, United States; The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, United States.
authors.forename: Kelly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Aschbrenner
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, United States; Department of Community and Family Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, United States.
authors.forename: Emily A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Scherer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, United States.
authors.forename: Gregory J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: McHugo
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, United States; Center for Technology and Behavioral Health, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH, United States.
authors.forename: Lisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Marsch
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion Research Center at Dartmouth, 46 Centerra Parkway, Lebanon, NH 03766, United States; The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, United States; Department of Community and Family Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, United States.
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Bartels
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000150:complications; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications; D000072001:Diet, Healthy; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D000072936:Fitness Trackers; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications; D017216:Telemedicine; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss; D061217:Weight Reduction Programs
keywords: Fitness; Physical activity; Serious mental illness; Wearable devices; Weight loss; mHealth