An Innovative Care Model Integrating Mobile Health Support to Promote Weight Management in Adults With Overweight or Obesity

Launched by THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG · May 20, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

Background: Obesity leads to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders, and many types of cancers. Insufficient physical activity and unhealthy diet (including high intake of saturated fatty acids, fat and inadequate consumption of dietary fibre) are the major causes of obesity but they are preventable and reversible.

The Population Health Survey 2020-22 showed that the overall prevalence of overweight and obese (level 1 and 2) in Hong Kong is 22.0% and 32.6%, respectively. The age-standardized prevalence of physical inactivity has risen from 12.4% (crude prevalence: 13.0...

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Hong Kong residents aged ≥18 years;
• • 2. able to read and communicate in Chinese;
• • 3. own a smartphone with internet access;
• • 4. have good mobility alone without gait aid;
• • 5. body mass index ≥ 23.0;
• • 6. and no contraindication for physical activity as evidenced by: If aged \< 70: do not meet any criteria in PAR-Q, or sign declaration of having medical clearance if meet any criteria in PAR-Q; If aged ≥ 70: sign the declaration about conducting physical activity frequently or having medical clearance
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Have a terminal illness (e.g., advanced cancer, dementia, pulmonary, neurological, motor-neuron, and advanced cardiovascular disease) or with a life expectancy of less than 6 months;
• • 2. currently receiving treatment for any cancer (active cancer patients) or cancer survivor of any GI cancers (e.g. colorectal cancer, stomach cancer);
• • 3. lactating, pregnant or planning for pregnancy in the coming 6 months;
• • 4. have current diagnosis of psychiatric disorder;
• • 5. have previous diagnosis of eating disorder;
• • 6. have diagnoses of gastrointestinal conditions (e.g. Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn's Disease, Coeliac Disease);
• • 7. currently receiving intensive diet or exercise treatment;
• • 8. have clinical obesity (e.g. confirmation of excess body fat plus limitations of day-to-day activities or signs or symptoms of obesity-related organ dysfunction). Examples of obesity-related organ dysfunction include NAFLD with hepatic fibrosis, the cluster of hyperglycaemia, high triglyceride levels, and low HDL cholesterol levels. Examples of limitations of day-to-day activities include significant age-adjusted limitations of mobility and/or other basic ADL (e.g. bathing, dressing, toileting, continence, eating).