Self-Management and Educational Support in Extremely Obese Patients Awaiting Bariatric Care

Summary

Extreme obesity is present in 9% of the Canadian population. Extremely obese people have a high chance of developing health problems and dying early. Our national guidelines recommend that extremely obese individuals receive multidisciplinary treatment, meaning that a number of specialized care providers should be available to help administer obesity treatments to these patients.

The investigators oversee a large obesity program called the Weight Wise Obesity Program, which delivers multidisciplinary care at 5 sites in Alberta, Canada (Edmonton, Calgary, Grand Prairie, Medicine Hat, Red Deer). Wait times to enter the Weight Wise clinics range from a few months to three years depending on the site in Alberta. The investigators performed a survey of the patients on the wait list in Edmonton and discovered that they self- report extremely poor health and feel that the long wait times are partly responsible for this poor health. To try to support these patients as they wait for multidisciplinary care, the investigators designed a group based self-management intervention, consisting of Weight Wise Community Modules. Patients attend this program over three months to receive weight management education (diet, exercise, stress management, coping strategies).A web-based version of the modules is also available.

The investigators wish to determine if these modules delivered to patients prior to entering the clinic help to reduce weight, improve quality of life in the wait listed patients and also to see if going through the modules helps patients to be more ready for weight management when they reach the Weight Wise clinic. The investigators also wish to examine whether or not these modules are cost effective. If these modules are not useful, a more effective way to support wait listed patients will be sought.

Conditions

• Obesity

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Weight Wise Community Modules

Program designed to educate patients regarding proper diet, exercise,and behavioural modification techniques with emphasis on increasing self-management, enhancing self-efficacy and identifying/overcoming barriers to success.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• Alberta Innovates Health Solutions

  collaborator OTHER

• Alberta Health services

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Alberta

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Raj Padwal, MD, MSc · General Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Alberta

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2013-03-31

Primary Completion

2016-03-31

Completion

2016-03-31

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations