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. 2020 Jan 25:17:101061.
doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2020.101061. eCollection 2020 Mar.

BWHealthy Weight Pilot Study: A randomized controlled trial to improve weight-loss maintenance using deposit contracts in the workplace

Lauren P Cleveland  1 , Michael W Seward  1 , Denise Simon  1 , Sheryl L Rifas-Shiman  1 , Kristina H Lewis  2 , Carin Bennett-Rizzo  3 , Florencia Halperin  4 , Katherine D McManus  5 , Jason P Block  1
Affiliations

BWHealthy Weight Pilot Study: A randomized controlled trial to improve weight-loss maintenance using deposit contracts in the workplace

Lauren P Cleveland et al. Prev Med Rep. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Objective: Deposit contracts, where participants "bet" on achieving a goal and get their money back only if successful, have been shown to be effective for short-term weight-loss. This pilot study examined their effect on weight-loss maintenance.

Methods: From 2016 to 2018, we conducted a pilot, 50-week randomized controlled trial among 42 hospital employees (19 intervention and 23 control), in Boston, Massachusetts, who lost ≥10 lb (4.5 kg) in the two years prior to enrollment. Participants were recruited primarily in-person. Both control and intervention participants were asked to attend a weigh in weekly and received weekly email communication. Intervention participants also entered into a deposit contract to maintain baseline weight within ≤2 lb (0.9 kg). We examined weight change from baseline to 50 weeks (primary outcome) and maintenance of baseline weight at 50 weeks (secondary outcome; binary - yes v. no). Participants completed baseline and follow-up surveys and received incentives for completion.

Results: At baseline, mean (SD) weight was 83.2 (15.5 kg) among intervention and 80.7 (14.5 kg) among control participants. After 50 weeks, intervention participants had slightly less but non-significant weight gain (adjusted β -1.12 kg; 95% CI -5.28, 3.05) than control participants; 73.7% of intervention v. 39.1% of control participants met their weight-loss maintenance goal by study end (adjusted OR 4.78; 95% CI 1.01, 22.71).

Conclusions: A deposit contract was not associated with differences in weight but led to more participants meeting their weight-loss maintenance goals; a deposit contract for weight-loss maintenance should be tested in a full-scale intervention. Most intervention participants viewed the deposit contract as acceptable.

Keywords: Deposit contract; Obesity; Weight-loss maintenance.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Participant Flow for recruitment, enrollment and withdrawal for BWHealthy Study. This figure shows the individuals contacted for enrollment in the BWHealthy Weight study in Boston, MA between 2016 and 2018. It follows the flow of individuals’ eligibility status, interest in participation, randomization and withdrawals.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
BWHealthy Study participant mean weekly weights by intervention status over 50 weeks.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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