Web-Based and Mobile Delivery of an Episodic Future Thinking Intervention for Overweight and Obese Families: A Feasibility Study
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: The bias toward immediate gratification is associated with maladaptive eating behaviors and has been cross-sectionally and prospectively related to obesity. Engaging in episodic future thinking, which involves mental self-projection to pre-experience future events, reduces this bias and energy intake in overweight/obese adults and children. To examine how episodic future thinking can be incorporated into clinical interventions, a Web-based system was created to provide training for adults and children in their everyday lives. OBJECTIVE: Our study examined the technical feasibility, usability, and acceptability of a Web-based system that is accessible by mobile devices and adapts episodic future thinking for delivery in family-based obesity interventions. METHODS: We recruited 20 parent-child dyads (N=40) from the surrounding community and randomized to episodic future thinking versus a nutritional information thinking control to test the feasibility of a 4-week Web-based intervention. Parents were 44.1 (SD 7.8) years of age with BMI of 34.2 (SD 6.8) kg/m(2). Children were 11.0 (SD 1.3) years of age with BMI percentile of 96.0 (SD 1.8). Families met weekly with a case manager for 4 weeks and used the system daily. Adherence was collected through the Web-based system, and perceived acceptance of the Web-based system was assessed postintervention. Measurements of body composition and dietary intake were collected at baseline and after the 4 weeks of intervention. RESULTS: All 20 families completed the intervention and attended all sessions. Results showed parents and children had high adherence to the Web-based system and perceived it to be easy to use, useful, and helpful. No differences between conditions were found in adherence for parents (P=.65) or children (P=.27). In addition, results suggest that basic nutrition information along with episodic future thinking delivered through our Web-based system may reduce energy intake and weight. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that our Web-based system is an accepted technology and a feasible utility. Furthermore, results provide initial evidence that our system can be incorporated into family-based treatments targeting behaviors related to weight control. These results show promising utility in using our Web-based system in interventions.
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Episodic future thinking produces reductions in real calorie consumption in laboratory and field settings.
“and real calorie consumption in lab and field settings (Daniel et al., 2013; Tinuke Oluyomi Daniel, Said, Stanton, & Epstein, 2015; O’Neill, Daniel, & Epstein, 2016; Sze, Daniel, Kilanowski, Collins, & Epstein, 2015).”
From Changing Delay Discounting and Impulsive Choice: Implications for Addictions, Prevention, and Human Health (2019) · cites this paper as Sze et al., 2015
A small pilot study indicated that delivering EFT online might lower energy intake at home for children averaging 11 years old.
“a small pilot study suggested that web-based delivery of EFT could reduce children’s (11 years old, on average) energy intake at home (Sze et al., 2015).”
From Changing Delay Discounting and Impulsive Choice: Implications for Addictions, Prevention, and Human Health (2019) · cites this paper as Sze et al., 2015
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- Authors
- Sze, Y. Y., Daniel, T. O., Kilanowski, C. K., Collins, R. L., & Epstein, L. H.
- Affiliations
- University at Buffalo, State University of New York (US)
- Corresponding author
- Epstein, Leonard H
- Venue
- JMIR mHealth and uHealth
- Publisher
- JMIR Publications Inc.
- Published
- 2015-12-16
- Volume
- 3
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- e97
- ISSN
- 2291-5222 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4704914
- OpenAlex
- W2212047966
- Cited by
- 94
- References
- 45
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 14.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- JMIR mhealth and uhealth (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (U01DK088380)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Mobile Health and mHealth Applications
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Keywords
- episodic future thinking, obesity, overweight, family intervention, online intervention, mobile health, feasibility, usability, acceptability, energy intake, dietary intake, weight management, parent-child dyads
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