Testing Just-in-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs) to Prevent Goal Disengagement in Response to Weight Regain
Overweight or Obesity
What this study involves
The registry says this study is recruiting. Individual locations may have different availability.
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Not applicable
- Age range
- 18 years - 75 years
- Sex eligible
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Participants
- 120 Estimated
These are starting points, not an eligibility decision. The research team must review the full requirements.
About the research
This trial will test the effectiveness of a weight loss maintenance intervention designed to help participants respond more adaptively to weight regain. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions. In one condition, participants will receive brief exercises (e.g., written reflections, videos) sent to through a smartphone app immediately after they regain weight or miss a weigh-in. These exercises will use mindfulness, acceptance, and self-compassion strategies to help participants stay motivated for their long term goals, even when weight regain feels demoralizing. In the comparison condition, participants will receive weekly reminders of standard weight control strategies strategies.
Who may be able to participate?
The list below is the sponsor’s full registry wording. It can include conditions, prior treatment, test results and other requirements. A match in search does not mean you qualify.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Ages 18-75 years
- BMI of 25-50 kg/m2
- Current weight is 3% lower than their highest weight in the past 3 years
- Desire to maintain their weight or lose more
- Ability to engage in PA, as defined as being able to walk two full city blocks without stopping
- Smartphone and Internet access
- Successful completion of all enrollment procedures
- Ability to attend a workshop(s) on a Monday or Tuesday evening
Exclusion Criteria:
- History of bariatric surgery
- History of being diagnosed with an eating disorder
- Currently pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant in the next 24 months
- Enrolled in another formal weight loss/weight maintenance program
- Currently taking a GLP-1 medication.
Treatment, groups and participation
The registry may describe treatments and study duration without a complete visit calendar. Ask the study team for the exact schedule, procedures, risks, costs and alternatives. Keep your usual care plan unless your treating clinician tells you otherwise.
- Assignment
- Random assignment
- Masking
- No masking
JITAI Condition
Participants in this condition will receive a 6-month weight loss maintenance intervention that uses mindfulness, acceptance, and self-compassion strategies to respond to weight regain.
Behavioral: JITAI Combined with psychological intervention
Active Control Condition
Participants in this condition will receive minimal intervention designed to reflect "usual care" for weight loss maintenance.
Behavioral: Active Control
JITAI Combined with psychological intervention BEHAVIORAL
For six months, participants will receive a just-in-time adaptive interventions via a smartphone app immediately after they gain weight or they skip a weigh-in (according to a specific algorithm). Interventions will engage participants in mindfulness, acceptance, and self-compassion-based (MASC) strategies through different modalities (e.g., writing exercises, videos, audio reflections). They will take approximately 1-10 minutes. Participants will also attend an introductory workshop, during which they will receive the instructions weigh daily, learn the importance of quickly responding to weight regain, and be introduced to MASC strategies. They will also attend two booster workshops during the 6-month period.
Active Control BEHAVIORAL
For six months, participants will receive weekly, automated messages via a smartphone app with reminders of standard behavioral weight control principles. Participants will attend an introductory workshop, during which they will receive instructions to weigh daily and learn the importance of responding to weight regain.
What researchers are measuring
Outcome measures describe what is being studied. They are not proof that a treatment works.
Primary measures
State negative affect
Time frame: Whenever participants skip a weigh-in or regain weight during the 6 month study period
Through ecological assessment surveys, participants will respond to a single item measuring their current negative affect.
State shame
Time frame: Whenever participants skip a weigh-in or regain weight during the 6 month study period
Through ecological assessment surveys, participants will respond to a single item measuring their current shame.
State Motivation
Time frame: Whenever participants skip a weigh-in or regain weight during the 6 month study period
Through ecological assessment surveys, participants will respond to a single item measuring their current feelings of motivation.
State Self-Efficacy
Time frame: Whenever participants skip a weigh-in or regain weight during the 6 month study period
Through ecological assessment surveys, participants will respond to a single item measuring their current self-efficacy.
Current confidence in the effectiveness of weight control behaviors
Time frame: Whenever participants skip a weigh-in or regain weight during the 6 month study period
Through ecological assessment surveys, participants will respond to a single item measuring their current confidence in the effectiveness of weight control behaviors.
State self-compassion
Time frame: Whenever participants skip a weigh-in or regain weight during the 6 month study period
Through ecological assessment surveys, participants will respond to a single item measuring their state self-compassion.
State mindfulness
Time frame: Whenever participants skip a weigh-in or regain weight during the 6 month study period
Through ecological assessment surveys, participants will respond to a single item measuring their state mindfulness.
State acceptance
Time frame: Whenever participants skip a weigh-in or regain weight during the 6 month study period
Through ecological assessment surveys, participants will respond to a single item measuring their state acceptance.
Self-serving interpretation of weight gain
Time frame: Whenever participants regain weight during the 6 month study period
Through ecological assessment surveys, participants will respond to a single item measuring their self-serving interpretation of the weight regain.
Daily Calorie Tracking (Yes/No)
Time frame: Whenever participants skip a weigh-in or regain weight during the 6 month study period
Whether participants log their calories (at least 800 calories) using a dietary tracking app that day (yes/no).
Daily MVPA
Time frame: Whenever participants skip a weigh-in or regain weight during the 6 month study period
Minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity they engage in that day, as tracked by their Fitbit band.
Likelihood of weighing in the following day
Time frame: Whenever participants skip a weigh-in or regain weight during the 6 month study period
Likelihood that participants weigh themselves the following day on a wireless smart scale (yes/no).
Weight change
Time frame: End of treatment (6 months after baseline)
Using participants' weights from a wireless scale, their percent weight change from the beginning to the end of the study period will be calculated.
Intervention acceptability
Time frame: End of treatment (6 months after baseline)
Intervention acceptability will be operationalized as the percent of participants who indicate that they are "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the program on an anonymous survey that they complete during their individual interview.
Calorie Tracking Frequency
Time frame: 6 months (duration of study period)
The number of days that participants logged their calories (at least 800 calories) using a dietary tracking app during the study period.
Average Weekly MVPA
Time frame: 6 months (duration of study period)
Average total minutes of weekly moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, as tracked by their Fitbit band, during the study period.
Frequency of Weighing In
Time frame: 6 months (duration of study period)
Total number of days that participants weighed themselves on a wireless smart scale during the study period.
Secondary measures
Mindfulness (Hypothesized intervention mediator)
Time frame: Mid-Treatment (3 months after baseline)
Participants will self-report their mindfulness using the Awareness subscale of The Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale. The range of scores is 1-5, with higher scores indicating greater mindfulness.
Acceptance (Hypothesized intervention mediator)
Time frame: Mid-Treatment (3 months after baseline)
Participants will self-report their mindful acceptance using the Acceptance subscale of The Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale. The range of scores is 1-5, with higher scores indicating greater mindful acceptance.
Self-compassion (Hypothesized intervention mediator)
Time frame: Mid-Treatment (3 months after baseline)
Participants will report their self-compassion using the Self-Compassion Scale Short Form. Scores can range from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating higher self-compassion.
Review the complete result tables and limitations in the official record.
Open official results ↗Research locations (1)
The overall study status and a local site’s status can differ. Confirm that location’s availability before traveling.
1 locations
Oregon Research Institute Community and Evaluation ServicesSpringfield, Oregon, United StatesRecruiting
Study team and timeline
- Lead sponsor
- ORI Community and Evaluation Services
- Study start
- Jul 14, 2026 Actual
- Primary completion
- Dec 31, 2027 Estimated
- Study completion
- Dec 31, 2027 Estimated
- First posted
- Jul 16, 2026 Actual
- Last updated
- Nov 10, 2026 Actual
Official study contacts
Official study title
Testing Just-in-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs) to Prevent Goal Disengagement in Response to Weight Regain
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Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Information is submitted by sponsors and investigators. NLM does not approve the safety or science of all listed studies. Registry disclaimer.
Retrieved: Nov 12, 2026 · Last registry update: Nov 10, 2026