PROJECT SUMMARY
Obesity and cardiometabolic comorbidities are leading chronic conditions among middle-aged and older adults.
During the COVID-19 pandemic unhealthy lifestyle habits seem to worsen to a greater degree in those with
multiple chronic conditions, promoting weight gain and further widening health disparities. Middle to older aged
adults with underlying multimorbid conditions, especially minorities, are particularly vulnerable to the secondary
health effects of the pandemic and are the target population for this study. This study capitalizes on our
decades-long translational research on the efficacious Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) and DPP-based
Group Lifestyle Balance (GLB) interventions; our extensive experience in using electronic health records
(EHR) for patient identification and monitoring; and our partnerships with multisector stakeholders in digital
health and wellness solutions. This multisite clinical trial uses a 2-stage sequential randomization design to test
the adaptive and nonadaptive augmentation of an EHR-integrated, validated base (GLB video) intervention
using problem solving treatment (PST), a proven behavior therapy. English/Spanish speaking adults (N=1029),
≥50 years with a body mass index ≥27 and ≥1 cardiometabolic conditions, will be randomized at baseline to
base intervention or waitlist control. Responders to the base intervention, defined by ≥3% weight loss at 6
weeks, will continue the base intervention; participants with <3% weight loss or missing weight data (i.e.,
nonresponders) will be re-randomized to continue the base intervention alone or augmented with PST
coaching via videoconference. Waitlist participants will be re-randomized after a 12-week control period to
receive the base or the augmented intervention, but without tailoring based on early weight loss. The base
intervention will use EHR-integrated delivery of the self-directed GLB videos, 1 per week for 12 weeks,
followed by digital behavior change and motivational messages. The augmented intervention includes base
intervention + PST videoconference coaching. All participants will receive a tablet, wireless weight scale, and
wearable activity tracker and will be followed for 52 weeks after baseline randomization. Aim 1 is to
demonstrate intervention effects on weight loss, behavior change, and patient-reported outcomes. We
hypothesize: (1) the augmented intervention will be more effective than the base intervention both among early
nonresponders to the base intervention (adaptive) and among participants in the waitlist group (nonadaptive) at
52 weeks; (2) the adaptive augmented intervention will be more efficacious than the base intervention and
more efficacious than the waitlist control group at 12 weeks. Aim 2 is to identify predictors of clinically
significant (5%) weight loss for individual patients, using sociodemographic, clinical and behavioral
engagement characteristics. The proposed interventions are poised to have immediate and widespread impact
on access, reach, delivery, effectiveness, scalability and sustainability. This study, if successful, will point the
way toward an inexpensive, scalable intervention that would likely be adopted by insurers.