J Obes Metab Syndr.  2021 Dec;30(4):345-353. 10.7570/jomes21047.

Effects of Short-term Mobile Application Use on Weight Reduction for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

• Lee SE
• Park SK
• Park YS
• Kim KA
• Choi HS
• Oh SW

• KMID: 2524574
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7570/jomes21047

Abstract

Background
The increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has led to a significant health burden. Technological advancements have highlighted the benefits of digital therapeutics for chronic diseases. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of a mobile application on weight reduction in patients with T2DM.
Methods
A total of 48 patients with T2DM was included in this single-center, randomized, controlled trial. In addition to conventional treatment, participants in the intervention group used a mobile application-based selfmanagement system for diet, exercise, and medication adherence. The primary outcome of this study was weight change after 3 months of intervention, and secondary outcomes were metabolic parameters.
Results
After 12 weeks, no significant differences in body weight change were observed between the intervention and control groups (P= 0.229). However, a significant difference was found in waist circumference (WC) between the two groups, wherein the control group showed an increase in WC (from 95.00±8.89 cm to 95.76± 9.72 cm), while the intervention group showed a reduction (from 91.93±6.25 cm to 90.75±6.01 cm) with a significant time by group interaction (P= 0.016). Additionally, participants with good compliance exhibited a more evident reduction in WC (P= 0.037). However, no significant differences were found in other metabolic parameters between the two groups.
Conclusion
Lifestyle modification using short-term mobile applications effectively reduced WC, especially in patients with good adherence to the application. However, weight reduction was not achieved.

Keyword

Diabetes mellitus type 2; Waist circumference; Body weight changes; Mobile applications