Supporting the self-management of obesity: The role of

information and communication technology

Presentation at Department of Health

17th May 2010

Overall aim

To investigate the potential for increased, innovative and effective uses of ICTs in the self-management of obesity (weight management)

Research and policy context

ICT research initiative at PRP at DH:‘The role of technology in supporting chronic

disease management, self care and healthy living’

Net.weight sits at intersection of 3 policy areas:• Self care• Information and ICTs• Obesity

Local, lived experience• Local focus: action-oriented

approach; strong input from local partners in health and HI fields

• What information and support do people know about, find accessible, useable and useful for weight management?

• How does this fit with the resources that are provided by the local health and HI providers?

• What role do ICTs currently have and what further applications and uses can be identified in this context?

Project flow diagram

Results: providers

• No central portal for HL info in city

• Key providers- PCT and City Council’s Active for Life initiative– Relevant info but hard to

find– Website didn’t speak to

NW participants– No interactive elements

or Web 2.0 features

Results: users - Majority over 45 and

female; many been trying to lose weight ‘forever’

- Wanting to lose or maintain weight, ‘get healthy’

- 40% with one or more chronic condition

- Poor experiences with health profs in past

- Support for behaviour change still wanted but blame unwelcome

Results: information and technology

- Generic HL info no longer needed; personalised info preferred

- High internet access (80%) but- Low use for health-

related info and communication

- Almost no use of online WM activities

- Little knowledge of local websites

Participatory learning workshops• ‘Co-designed’• Interests and needs –

Support + advice for people with specific health needs

Information about local activities – as opposed to general HL information

Information from trustworthy, non-commercial sources

Local support networks Information for men

39 participants, 3 groups, series of 4 workshops per group:1.Information guided tour2.Sharing and community3.In our own words4.Making the future

•In the local community•Participatory•Peer-supported learning•Critical engagement with information and technologies

Net.weight Community

Information: from ‘users’ to ‘providers’

Posted June 23rd, 2008 by Alexanderhttp://maps.google.co.uk/maps?

****************************************Above is a link to my walk to work which takes me about 40 minutes and I burn

224 calories. I do vary it thou depending on my mood.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

distance duration calories burnt cost carbon footprint 2.36 miles

4748 steps3.80 km224 calories£ 0

Attached is a picture of my gradient of my walk to work

Self-help, motivation and support

Reflection, inspiration and self-motivation

From ‘users’ to ‘designers’

Participant reflections• It’s given me another dimension to my life,

really (Alexander, 54, became ethusiastic user)

• If I hadn’t done Net.weight, I would never, ever, have gone anywhere near a computer (Natasha, 60, beginner and still tentative user)

• You need life support... A person, or [at least] a ‘phone number (Amanda, 59, engaged and critical user)

Conclusions

Question: what is the potential for increased, innovative and effective uses of ICTs in the self-management of obesity (weight management)?

Answer: there is huge potential: in technologies in knowledge and expertise held by those

engaged in WM in bringing these two together to develop

innovative ideas for local information and ICT design ideas to support WM ‘in place’

Beyond use to ‘effective use’ : ‘the capacity and opportunity to successfully

integrate ICTs into the accomplishment of self or collaboratively identified goals’ (Gurstein, 2003)

Policy messages• Self care• Self care is difficult in this area as causes and consequences

of condition are beyond scope of individual action alone

• Information• Information is a necessary but not sufficient condition for

self care – support and motivation are bigger issues• Personalised info preferred to generic messages

• Internet• Internet-based tools can be used to support a ‘blended’

approach to WM in the community (on- and off-line)• Greater need to build on expertise of those engaged in WM

when planning information and ICT design, developments and interventions

• Obesity• Need for broader, more collective approach to WM which

can enhance confidence and effect change in environment

Technology and policy development in weight

management Participation is key Wilson and Casey’s model

Information, feedback, participation Personal and group involvement

Local activity and action is easy to stimulate and build on

Engage public as citizens not patients- new forms of governance not just choice

There is further potential in linking health, digital inclusion and community engagement agendas

Further information

Project TeamAt the University of Brighton • Professor Flis Henwood, Project Director• Ms Audrey Marshall, Dr Elizabeth Guy, Senior Research Fellows• Ms Tanja Sinozic, Research Officer (User Survey Report)• Ms Laura Bottomley and Mr Ian Hockaday, Project Administrators At the Brighton and Sussex Medical School• Professor Helen Smith• Dr Leslie Carlin, Research Fellow • In the community• Mr Mark Walker, Sussex Community Internet Project (SCIP)

• http://research.cmis.brighton.ac.uk/netweight/