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Weight loss maintenance strategies among rural breast cancer survivors: The rural women connecting for better health trial
Author(s) -
Befort Christie A.,
Klemp Jennifer R.,
Sullivan Debra K.,
Shireman Theresa,
Diaz Francisco J.,
Schmitz Kathryn,
Perri Michael G.,
Fabian Carol
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.438
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1930-739X
pISSN - 1930-7381
DOI - 10.1002/oby.21625
Subject(s) - weight loss , medicine , breast cancer , obesity , psychological intervention , randomized controlled trial , physical therapy , gerontology , weight change , intervention (counseling) , demography , cancer , psychiatry , sociology
Objective Obesity is a risk factor for breast cancer recurrence. Rural women have higher obesity rates compared with urban women and are in need of distance‐based interventions that promote long‐term weight loss. Methods In this two‐phase trial, rural breast cancer survivors who lost >5% of their starting weight during a 6‐month lifestyle intervention (delivered through weekly group conference calls) were randomized to one of two 12‐month interventions for weight loss maintenance: continued biweekly phone‐based group counseling or mailed newsletters. The primary outcome was weight regain from 6 to 18 months. Secondary outcomes included dichotomous measures of weight change and costs. Results Mean weight loss at 6 months was 14.0 ± 5.1%. Participants in the group phone condition regained less weight (3.3 ± 4.8 kg) compared with participants in the newsletter condition (4.9 ± 4.8 kg; P = 0.03). At 18 months, 75.3% of participants in the group phone condition remained ≥5% below baseline weight compared with 57.8% in the newsletter condition ( P = 0.02). Incremental cost‐effectiveness ratios were $882 to keep one more person ≥5% below baseline weight. Conclusions A lifestyle intervention incorporating group phone‐based support improved the magnitude of weight loss maintained and increased the proportion of survivors who maintained clinically significant reductions.