Feasibility and Acceptability of Delivering a Postpartum Weight Loss Intervention via Facebook: A Pilot Study

• Published in: Journal of nutrition education and behavior Vol. 50; no. 1; pp. 70 - 74.e1
• Main Authors: Waring, Molly E., Moore Simas, Tiffany A., Oleski, Jessica, Xiao, Rui S., Mulcahy, Julie A., May, Christine N., Pagoto, Sherry L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.01.2018
• Subjects: pilot study; postpartum; social media; weight loss; weight loss; postpartum; social media; pilot study
• ISSN: 1499-4046; 1878-2620
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2017.09.025

To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a Facebook-delivered postpartum weight loss intervention. Overweight and obese postpartum women received a 12-week weight loss intervention via Facebook. Feasibility outcomes were recruitment, retention, engagement, and acceptability. Weight loss was an exploratory outcome. Participants (n = 19) were 3.5 (SD 2.2) months postpartum with a baseline body mass index of 30.1 (SD 4.2) kg/m2. Retention was 95%. Forty-two percent of participants visibly engaged on the last day of the intervention, and 100% in the last 4 weeks; 88% were likely or very likely to participate again and 82% were likely or very likely to recommend the program to a postpartum friend. Average 12-week weight loss was 4.8% (SD 4.2%); 58% lost ≥5%. Findings suggested that this Facebook-delivered intervention is feasible and acceptable and supports research to test efficacy for weight loss. Research is needed to determine how best to engage participants in social network–delivered weight loss interventions.