PDA+: A Personal Digital Assistant for Obesity Treatment - an RCT testing the use of technology to enhance XXXX treatment for veterans.

@entity1 @entity353 @entity28 @entity158 @entity1118
BACKGROUND: Obese adults struggle to make the changes necessary to achieve even modest @entity353 , though a decrease in weight by as little as 10% can have significant health benefits. Failure to meet @entity353 goals may in part be associated with barriers to @entity28 treatment. Wide-spread dissemination of evidence-based @entity28 treatment faces multiple challenges including cost, access, and implementing the programmatic characteristics on a large scale. AIMS: The PDA+: A Personal Digital Assistant for Obesity Treatment randomized controlled trial (RCT) was designed to test whether a PDA-based behavioral intervention enhances the effectiveness of the existing group @entity353 treatment program at VA Medical Centers Managing Overweight/Obese Veterans Everywhere (MOVE!). We also aim to introduce technology as a way to overcome systemic barriers of traditional @entity28 treatment. METHODS/DESIGN: Veterans enrolled in the MOVE! group at the Hines Hospital VAMC with BMI >=  25 and  <= 40 and weigh < 400 pounds, experience @entity1118 (>=  4 on the NRS-I scale for >=  6 months prior to enrollment) and are able to participate in a moderate intensity exercise program will be recruited and screened for eligibility. @entity1 will be randomized to receive either: a) MOVE! treatment alone (Standard Care) or b) Standard Care plus PDA (PDA+). Those randomized to PDA+ will record dietary intake, physical activity, and weight on the PDA. In addition, they will also record mood and @entity158 intensity, and receive biweekly telephone support for the first 6-months of the 12-month study. All @entity1 will attend in- @entity1 lab sessions every three months to complete questionnaires and for the collection of anthropomorphic data. Weight loss and decrease in @entity158 level intensity are the primary outcomes. DISCUSSION: The PDA+ trial represents an important step in understanding ways to improve the use of technology in @entity28 treatment. The trial will address barriers to @entity28 care by implementing effective behavioral components of a @entity353 intervention and delivering high intensity, low cost @entity28 treatment. This RCT also tests an intervention approach supported by handheld technology in a population traditionally considered to have lower levels of technology literacy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00371462.
