A web-based intervention is feasible for supporting weight loss and increased activity in rural women with arthritis.

Abstract

Rural women have well documented health disparities, with higher prevalence of obesity and chronic conditions, including arthritis. Change in weight and actigraph-recorded data were examined in a subset of 63 of 82 women with physician-diagnosed arthritis who completed a 30-month web-based clinical trial. Repeated measures analyses showed women lost weight from baseline to six months, slowly regained at 18 and 30 months, ending with a lower weight than baseline F(1,62)=40.89, p<0.001, η2p =0.40. Of 53 women with complete data, activity increased at six months, decreased at 18 months, and increased at 30 months F(1,52)=4.14, p =0.04, η2p=0.07. Women showed improved change in weight and activity from baseline at six, 18 and 30 months. This study adds support that web-based programs may promote weight loss and activity in a hard-to-reach, underserved population of midlife and older rural women with arthritis. Significance for public health Addressing increasing prevalence of obesity and sedentary lifestyle among rural women with arthritis is a public health issue. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using web-based interventions to reach and promote sustained engagement in rural women to achieve weight loss and increase activity. Web-based weight loss interventions may have potential to reduce rural health disparities by improving access to and acceptability of preventive public health interventions to achieve sustained, effective program engagement.