DIABESITY: Design of mHealth integrated solutions for empowering diabetic and obese citizens in self-monitoring and self-management using mobile devices, apps, social media and web-based technologies

Obesity is one of the most important medical and public health problems of our time: it increases the risk of many health complications such as type 2 diabetes, needs long-lasting treatment for effective results and involves high public and private costs. Therefore, it is imperative that enduring and low-cost clinical programs are developed and evaluated. As reported in several studies, ICT may be valid alternatives to reduce costs and improve adherence to prescribed treatment. Nevertheless few studies have tested a long-term intervention addressed to the behavior change and to measure the weight loss of obese subjects. For this reason, we developed the DIABESITY study, the design of a mHealth integrated platform for empowering diabetic and obese citizens in self-monitoring, and self-management through the use of mobile devices, monitors and treatment protocols. In this paper we focus on the following three important aspects of DIABESITY. i) Dietary mHealth tools for home-patients; ii) Application and analysis of psychological factors and processes which mediate change of behavior and affect initiation and maintenance phases; iii) Employment of social networks for patients and clinicians. Currently, this study involves 14 international partners chosen amongst hospitals, universities and ICT companies which will strictly collaborate by contributing with their own specific skills. The effectiveness of DIABESITY compared with usual care (hospital-based treatment) will be provided in a randomized controlled trial with a 24-month follow-up. In particular, here we report primary and secondary clinical outcomes with the basic statistical procedures which will be used for this evaluation.