Weight Loss Maintenance Following a Primary Care Intervention for Low‐income Minority Women

Abstract

Although the primary care setting offers an innovative option for weight loss interventions, there is minimal research examining this type of intervention with low‐income minority women. Further, there is a lack of research on the long‐term effects of these programs. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the weight loss maintenance of low‐income African‐American women participating in a primary care weight management intervention. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with overweight and obese women (N = 144) enrolled at two primary care clinics. Women received a 6‐month tailored weight loss intervention delivered by their primary care physician and completed follow‐up assessments 9, 12, and 18 months following randomization. The weight loss maintenance of the tailored intervention was compared to a standard care comparison group. The weight loss of intervention participants (−1.52 ± 3.72 kg) was significantly greater than that of standard care participants (0.61 ± 3.37 kg) at month 9 (P = 0.01). However, there was no difference between the groups at the 12‐month or 18‐month follow‐ups. Participants receiving a tailored weight loss intervention from their physician were able to maintain their modest weight loss up to 3–6 months following treatment. Women demonstrated weight regain at the 18‐month follow‐up assessment, suggesting that more intensive follow‐up in the primary care setting may be needed to obtain successful long‐term weight loss maintenance.