NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH?S NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NURSING RESEARCH GRANT FUNDING STUDY INVOLVING WEIGHT LOSS
National Institutes of Health?s National Institute of Nursing Research grant funds for a three year clinical trial entitled, ?The Rural Men?s Health Study,? amounting to $380,885 that involves rural men from Nebraska.
Researchers at the University Of Nebraska Medical Center College Of Nursing Northern Division in Norfolk team up with the Northeast Nebraska Public Health Department to evaluate whether smartphone technology can help rural men lose weight by self-monitoring their eating and activity.
Sixty-nine percent of rural Nebraska men are currently overweight or obese, and during midlife, there?s an increased prevalence, said Dr. Christine Eisenhauer, a clinical researcher specializing in rural health and the study?s principal investigator at the UNMC College of Nursing in Norfolk.
Being overweight or obese is commonly associated with higher risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, joint pain, and some cancers.
The researchers are currently recruiting 80 men. Certain qualifications include those age 40 to 69 who live in Northeast Nebraska, have a body mass index of 28 or higher, and have access to a smartphone that is text message-enabled.
Participants of the study will make three visits over a six-month period at the Northeast Nebraska Public Health Department in Wayne where they?ll fill out surveys, have their blood pressure checked, and be weighed during private sessions.
?This study is designed specifically with input of Northeast Nebraska men and will reflect their preferences for mobile health technologies that fit their unique lifestyle and workplace needs,? Eisenhauer said. ?Small changes in diet and physical activity can significantly decrease weight and lower health risks.?
Under the study, one group of participants will receive a premium version of a self-monitoring app, a smart scale, allowing men to track their weight over time, and daily text messages. They?ll also have the chance to participate in a challenge group with other participants.
While, the second group will receive the basic version of the commercially available app only. Here, men will self-monitor their weight, eating and activity for three months. A six-month follow-up visit will evaluate the long-term effectiveness of the intervention.
Erudite Nursing Institute? supports the study?s aim to determine which two smartphone-based interventions are most feasible and effective to rural men in making their way to lose weight. This way, the institute believes that the study can create new breakthroughs in combating obesity to prevent health decline.
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