OEF/OIF Veteran Preferences for and Feasibility of Internet-Mediated Physical Activity Interventions

Holtz B, Richardson CR, Krein SL, Hughes M, Bentley D, Giardino N. OEF/OIF Veteran Preferences for and Feasibility of Internet-Mediated Physical Activity Interventions. Poster session presented at: American Telemedicine Association Annual Meeting; 2012 Apr 29; San Jose, CA.

Introduction: Younger veterans returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars (OEF/OIF veterans) struggle with weight problems despite their recent military service. In one recent study, over 87% of OEF/OIF veterans were overweight or obese when initially presenting to the VA. OEF/OIF veterans have different preferences than older veterans, preferring more vigorous physical activity including weight lifting and more technology mediated intervention delivery. Low cost commercially available interventions may be helpful to OEF/OIF veterans trying to manage their weight. Methods: OEF/OIF Veterans with a BMI of 30 who receive care at the Ann Arbor VA Medical Center were randomized to one of three home based, commercially available weight-loss programs: 1) a website with a large online community and diet and exercise self-monitoring tools (sparkpeople.com), 2) a weight-loss program that uses a device to objectively monitor physical activity and cell-phone or Web-based diet tracking (BodyMedia Fit), and 3) a DVD-based physical activity program with an online community for social support (P90X). After using the first assigned intervention for six weeks, participants were then given a second intervention to use for another six weeks. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants at the end of each intervention. Results: OEF/OIF Veterans , with an average age of 36, were able to successfully use all of the interventions and reported weight-loss. SparkPeople was found to be more helpful in changing subjects' diets and improving knowledge regarding nutrition. Conversely, P90X assisted participants in increasing their levels of physical activity, but did not improve their diet. Bodymedia fit was rated highly in general, with participants, reporting that having an objective monitoring tool was useful, motivating, and held them accountable. Conclusion: Internet mediated technologies can facilitate improved health behaviors and weight loss for OEF/OIF Veterans. Participants' goals and preferences may be useful for choosing the most effective intervention. Objectives: 1. Understand how OEF/OIF Veterans differ in their perceptions and use of technology for weight management 2. Results from three technology-based weight loss interventions