TY  - JOUR
AU  - Meule, Adrian
AU  - Richard, Anna
AU  - Dinic, Radomir
AU  - Blechert, Jens
PY  - 2019
DA  - 2019/11/1
TI  - Effects of a Smartphone-Based Approach-Avoidance Intervention on Chocolate Craving and Consumption: Randomized Controlled Trial
JO  - JMIR Mhealth Uhealth
SP  - e12298
VL  - 7
IS  - 11
KW  - food
KW  - chocolate
KW  - craving
KW  - smartphone
KW  - mobile phone
KW  - mhealth
KW  - digital health
KW  - eating behavior
AB  - Background: Repeatedly pushing high-calorie food stimuli away based on joystick movements has been found to reduce approach biases toward these stimuli. Some studies also found that such avoidance training reduced consumption of high-calorie foods. Objective: This study aimed to test effects of a smartphone-based approach-avoidance intervention on chocolate craving and consumption, to make such interventions suitable for daily use. Methods: Within a 10-day period, regular chocolate eaters (n=105, 86% female) performed five sessions during which they continuously avoided (ie, swiped upward) chocolate stimuli (experimental group, n=35), performed five sessions during which they approached and avoided chocolate stimuli equally often (placebo control group, n=35), or did not perform any training sessions (inactive control group, n=35). Training effects were measured during laboratory sessions before and after the intervention period and further continuously through daily ecological momentary assessment. Results: Self-reported chocolate craving and consumption as well as body fat mass significantly decreased from pre- to postmeasurement across all groups. Ecological momentary assessment reports evidenced no differences in chocolate craving and consumption between intervention days and rest days as a function of the group. Conclusions: A smartphone-based approach-avoidance training did not affect eating-related and anthropometric measures over and above measurement-based changes in this study. Future controlled studies need to examine whether other techniques of modifying food approach tendencies show an add-on benefit over conventional, monitoring-based intervention effects. Trial Registration: AsPredicted 8203; https://aspredicted.org/pt9df.pdf. 
SN  - 2291-5222
UR  - https://mhealth.jmir.org/2019/11/e12298
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/12298
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31682584
DO  - 10.2196/12298
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/12298
ER  -