The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on weight loss in the digital Healthy Weight Coaching program
: Ahola, Aila J.; Venäläinen, Mikko S.; Joki, Anu; Suojanen, Laura-Unnukka; Pietiläinen, Kirsi H.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
: 2025
: Obesity Research and Clinical Practice
: Obesity Research & Clinical Practice
: 19
: 3
: 275
: 278
: 1871-403X
: 1878-0318
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orcp.2025.04.008
: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orcp.2025.04.008
We compared weight loss and changes in healthcare utilization, physical activity, and physical and mental components of health-related quality of life (HRQoL, RAND-36) in a 12-month digital program before and during COVID-19. Participants (n = 116/cohort) were age-, sex-, BMI-matched. The sample was predominantly female (86.2 %), median age 53 years, BMI 38.5 kg/m2. Both groups achieved significant 12-month weight loss (pre-COVID: 5.1 % [SE 0.6 %]; COVID: 4.7 % [SE 0.6 %]) with no significant differences. Reduced healthcare visits, increased physical activity, and improved physical HRQoL occurred in both groups. The program was equally effective in both eras for weight loss, healthcare use, physical activity, and physical HRQoL.
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This study was supported by Research Council of Finland, grant numbers 266286, 272376, 314383, and 335443; Finnish Medical Foundation; Gyllenberg Foundation; Novo Nordisk Foundation, grant numbers NNF20OC0060547, NNF17OC0027232, NNF10OC1013354; Finnish Diabetes Research Foundation; Paulo Foundation; Sigrid Jusélius Foundation; University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital; Government Research Funds. Funding sources were not involved in the interpretation of data, writing of the manuscript, and the decision to submit the article.
