# longitudinal assessment of stress and stress-related concepts across a behavioral weight loss intervention

> **NIH NIH P20** · UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER · 2024 · $232,275

## Abstract

Obesity prevalence can be reduced by individual-focused lifestyle interventions as these interventions are 
generally effective at helping people lose weight. However, some people who engage in these interventions 
lose less weight than others. This variability in weight loss may be influenced by psychological factors, such as 
perceived stress, that play a key role in behavior change. Fluctuations in daily stress and ability to cope with 
this stress (i.e., coping) can negatively impact behavior, and potentially initial weight loss. Nevertheless, 
successfully assessing this relationship on the day-to-day level has been difficult and with limited assessment 
especially among participants who are trying to change behavior (e.g., behavioral weight loss program). These 
limitations can be addressed by ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methodology which assesses these 
daily psychological constructs and behaviors in real-time and across multiple days. Intensive longitudinal 
assessment with EMA of these psychological factors and daily behavior can inform the design of adaptive 
interventions that can intervene in real-time to change behavior and improve weight loss success. To this end, 
the overarching aim of this study is to elucidate mechanisms of stress and related concepts with subsequent 
health behaviors during a behavioral weight loss intervention. To thoroughly assess the mechanism, this study 
will conduct EMA measures at multiple timepoints within diverse participants who have engaged in a 
community-based weight management program. Specifically, we will examine the association between 
variability in individual stress and weight loss across a behavioral weight loss program (Specific Aim 1). We will 
test the hypothesis that high variability in daily stress will be related to less weight loss (Hypothesis 1a), and 
less physical activity and sleep across the initial (3-months) and full program (6-months, Hypothesis 1b). We 
will also examine the association between variability in daily coping and positive affect, and weight loss across 
the behavioral weight loss program (Specific Aim 2). We will test the hypothesis that individuals with high 
variability in coping and positive affect will be related to less weight lost across the initial and full program 
(Hypothesis 2). The results from our study will advance our understanding of stress, coping, and affect during a 
weight loss program, and lead to the development of an ecological momentary intervention to improve stress 
and mental health while engaging in a behavioral weight loss program supporting long-term behavior change 
and weight loss success.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11136789
- **Project number:** 5P20GM144269-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Chelsea L Kracht
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $232,275
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2024-06-14 → 2027-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11136789

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11136789, longitudinal assessment of stress and stress-related concepts across a behavioral weight loss intervention (5P20GM144269-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11136789. Licensed CC0.

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