The Outcomes of App-Based Health Coaching to Improve Dietary Behavior Among Nurses in a Tertiary Hospital: Pilot Intervention Study

Abstract

Background: At the workplace, health care workers face multiple challenges in maintaining healthy dietary behaviors, which is the major factor behind obesity. A hospital-wide mass health screening exercise showed an increasing trend in the prevalence of obesity and median BMI from 2004 to 2019, as well as a higher crude obesity rate among shift workers.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of mobile app-based health coaching and incentives for achieving weight loss from better dietary choices among hospital nurses.

Methods: We conducted a pilot study from June 2019 to March 2020, involving the use of a health-coaching app by 145 hospital nurses over 6 months. Weight and BMI were self-reported, and food scores were calculated. Data among overweight nurses, shift work nurses, and incentive groups were analyzed.

Results: A total of 61 nurses were included in the final analysis. Of these 61 nurses, 38 (62%) lost weight. The median percentage weight loss was 1.2% (IQR 0%-2.9%; P<.001), and the median decrease in BMI was 0.35 (IQR -0.15 to 0.82; P<.001), but they were not clinically significant. The median improvement in the food score was 0.4 (IQR 0-0.8). There was no difference between the incentive and nonincentive groups. A total of 49 (34%) participants engaged for ≥8 weeks.

Conclusions: The study demonstrated an association between the use of app-based health coaching and the attainment of some weight loss in nurses, without a significant improvement in the food score. Incentives may nudge on-boarding, but do not sustain engagement.

Keywords: app; app-based health; diet; dietary behavior; dietary choice; health coaching; mHealth; mobile health; nurse; smartphone app; weight loss.