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Completed

NCT Number: NCT05885438

ACT for Healthy Living: a Brief Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Intervention for Women With Obesity

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate if a 4-hour acceptance and commitment therapy workshop can help the adoption and maintenance of healthy lifestyle behaviors in women with obesity. The objectives are as follows:

1. To assess changes in ACT-related constructs before and after the workshop 2. To assess changes in other psychological constructs that have been shown to hinder successful weight management before and after the workshop 3. To assess changes in dietary and physical activity behaviors before and after the workshop. Participants will complete baseline questionnaires and anthropometric measures at three time points: baseline, 1 week after the workshop, and 1 month after the workshop. Researchers will compare an active intervention group to a waitlist control group to investigate the efficacy of the workshop.

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Key information

Conditions

Obesity Body Weight Nutrition Disorders Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Overnutrition Overweight Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

40 year–70 year

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham, Alabama, 35205, United States

About this study

Acceptance and commitment therapy interventions demonstrate efficacy for weight loss. ACT-based workshops represent an innovative and potentially scalable application of this approach to obesity treatment. 70 women will be recruited to participate. Half of the participants (n = 35) will receive a brief ( approximately 4-hour) workshop that aims to facilitate the development and maintenance of healthy lifestyle behaviors using ACT principles such as valued living and committed action. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, 1-week, and 1-month post-intervention.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Inclusion criteria will be individuals who self-identify as women, have a BMI of >30.0 kg/m2 based on self-reported height and weight, are able to read and understand written and spoken English, and have a primary residence within 50 miles driving distance of the University of Alabama at Birmingham campus.

Exclusion criteria

  • Exclusion criteria will include presence of eating disorder symptoms (assessed by participant self-report for a former or current diagnosis) presence of a major mood disorder (assessed by participant self-report of a current or former diagnosis), recent weight change of +/-10 pounds, recent use of prescription medication for weight loss, and current participation in another weight management program.

Treatment and study plan

ACT Workshop

Behavioral

This workshop is a brief behavioral intervention that teaches acceptance and commitment therapy skills (e.g., values clarification, acceptance, committed action) to approach healthy living.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change from baseline in psychological flexibility at Week 1

    Time frame: Baseline and 1 week

    The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire for Weight-Related Difficulties is a validated, self-report measure and will be used to assess change in psychological flexibility. Possible scores range from 0-22, with higher scores indicating greater psychological flexibility.

  2. Change from baseline in distress tolerance at Week 1

    Time frame: baseline and 1 week

    Distress tolerance will be measured using the Distress Tolerance Scale- Short Form (DTS), a validated, self-report measure. Possible scores range from 15 to 75, with higher scores indicating better distress tolerance

  3. Change from baseline in valued living at Week 1

    Time frame: baseline and 1 week

    The Valued Living Questionnaire is a validated, self-report measure to assess the extent to which an individual is living in a way that is consistent with their core values. Scores range from 10-100, with higher scores indicating greater consistency between values and behavior.

  4. Change from baseline in psychological flexibility at 1 month

    Time frame: baseline and 1 month

    The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire for Weight-Related Difficulties is a validated, self-report measure and will be used to assess change in psychological flexibility. Possible scores range from 0-22, with higher scores indicating greater psychological flexibility.

  5. Change from baseline in distress tolerance at 1 month

    Time frame: baseline and 1 month

    Distress tolerance will be measured using the Distress Tolerance Scale- Short Form (DTS), a validated, self-report measure. Possible scores range from 15 to 75, with higher scores indicating better distress tolerance

  6. Change from baseline in valued living at 1 month

    Time frame: baseline and 1 month

    The Valued Living Questionnaire is a validated, self-report measure to assess the extent to which an individual is living in a way that is consistent with their core values. Scores range from 10-100, with higher scores indicating greater consistency between values and behavior.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change from baseline in weight self-stigma at Week 1

    Time frame: baseline and 1 week

    Weight self-stigma will be measured using the Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire, a validated self-report measure. This is a 23-item measure, with scores ranging from 12- 60. higher scores indicate more weight self-stigma.

  2. Change from baseline in weight self-stigma at 1 month

    Time frame: baseline and 1 month

    Weight self-stigma will be measured using the Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire, a validated self-report measure. This is a 23-item measure, with scores ranging from 12- 60. higher scores indicate more weight self-stigma.

  3. Change from baseline in body image at Week 1

    Time frame: baseline and 1 week

    Body image will be measured using the Body Shape Questionnaire, a validated, 14 item self report measure. Scores range from 14 to 84, with higher scores indicating more negative body image.

  4. Change from baseline in body image at Month 1

    Time frame: baseline and 1 month

    Body image will be measured using the Body Shape Questionnaire, a validated, 14 item self report measure. Scores range from 14 to 84, with higher scores indicating more negative body image.

  5. Change from baseline in emotional eating at Week 1

    Time frame: baseline and 1 week

    Emotional eating will be measured using the Emotional Eating Scale. This is a 25 item self-report measure with possible scores ranging from 25 to 125. Higher scores suggest greater likelihood to eat in response to emotionality.

  6. Change from baseline in emotional eating at 1 month

    Time frame: baseline and 1 month

    Emotional eating will be measured using the Emotional Eating Scale. This is a 25 item self-report measure with possible scores ranging from 25 to 125. Higher scores suggest greater likelihood to eat in response to emotionality.

  7. Change from baseline in physical activity at Week 1

    Time frame: baseline and 1 week

    Physical Activity will be measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire -Short Form. This is a validated self report measure that provides information on frequency (times per week) and duration (minutes per session) of physical activity undertaken per week.

  8. Change from baseline in physical activity at 1 month

    Time frame: baseline and 1 month

    Physical Activity will be measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire -Short Form. This is a validated self report measure that provides information on frequency (times per week) and duration (minutes per session) of physical activity undertaken per week.

  9. Change from baseline in diet quality at Week 1

    Time frame: baseline and 1 week

    Dietary quality will be measured using the Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants- Shortened Version (REAPS-S). The REAPS-S is a 16-item, self-report questionnaire with possible scores ranging from 16 - 48, with lower scores indicating a less healthy diet.

  10. Change from baseline in diet quality at 1 month

    Time frame: baseline and 1 month

    Dietary quality will be measured using the Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants- Shortened Version (REAPS-S). The REAPS-S is a 16-item, self-report questionnaire with possible scores ranging from 16 - 48, with lower scores indicating a less healthy diet.

  11. Change from baseline in body weight at 1 week

    Time frame: baseline and 1 week

    Participants will be weighed to the nearest 0.1 kg.

  12. Change from baseline in body weight at 1 month

    Time frame: baseline and 1 month

    Participants will be weighed to the nearest 0.1 kg.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Jun 2, 2023
Registry last updated
Sep 12, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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