BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
Almost 80% of Veterans using the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) are overweight or obese, putting millions at risk for costly and debilitating chronic conditions. Weight loss treatments improve health, but there is an implementation gap: VHA offers weight loss treatments to 94% of overweight/obese Veterans, but only 10% use them. Therefore, improving weight loss treatment engagement could prolong millions of lives. Motivational interviewing can improve treatment engagement (i.e., help patients initiate/maintain treatments), but clinicians have limited time to use it. As a result, there is a need for a motivational, self-help tool that can increase Veterans' weight loss treatment engagement without requiring clinicians' time.

OBJECTIVE(S):
Aim 1: Identify patient and organizational predictors of weight loss treatment engagement.
Aim 2: Develop a motivational, self-help tool to increase weight loss treatment engagement.
Aim 3: Pilot-test a motivational, self-help tool to engage Veterans in weight loss treatments.

METHODS:
Aim 1 used interviews with clinicians and national leaders to identify VHA behavioral weight loss treatments, including, but not limited to MOVE! (VHA's primary weight loss treatment). Next, gender stratified administrative database analyses will be used to identify patient and organizational predictors of Veterans' engagement in those treatments. Aim 2 uses Aim 1 results and interviews with VHA clinicians and patients to develop a motivational, self-help tool to increase women and men Veterans' weight loss treatment engagement. Aim 3 will be a pilot test of the tool to assess the feasibility of methods for a subsequent randomized trial of the tool's effects on weight loss treatment engagement.

FINDINGS/RESULTS:
Not yet available.

IMPACT:
The proposed research will help identify Veteran populations most in need of improved weight loss treatment engagement and inform efforts to implement VHA weight management programs. Findings may ultimately lead to increased engagement in effective weight loss treatments that will improve the health of Veterans through weight loss, improved physical health, and improved quality of life. Results may also facilitate understanding of and improvements in engagement and outcomes related to other behavioral health treatments.

PUBLICATIONS:
None at this time.

DRA: Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes and Other Endocrine Conditions, Other Conditions
DRE: Technology Development and Assessment, Treatment - Preclinical, TRL - Development, Prevention
Keywords: none
MeSH Terms: none