Efficacy of a standardized tube weaning program in pediatric patients with feeding difficulties after successful repair of their esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula.

Children born with esophageal atresia (EA) might suffer from significant oral feeding problems which could evolve into tube dependency. The primary aim of the study was to define the outcome of tube weaning in children after successful EA repair and to compare outcomes in children with short gap/TEF (tracheoesophageal fistula) and long-gap EA. Data of 64 children (28 with short-gap EA/TEF with primary anastomosis and 36 with long-gap EA with delayed surgical repair) who participated in a standardized tube weaning program based on the "Graz model of tube weaning" (in/outpatients in an intensive 3-week program, online coaching (Netcoaching) only, or a combined 2-week intensive onsite followed by online treatment "Eating School") from 2009 to 2019 was evaluated. Sixty-one patients completed the program by transitioning to exclusive oral intake (95.3%). Three children (4.7%) were left partially weaned at the time of discharge. No significant differences could be found between short gap/TEF and long-gap EA group regarding outcomes.Conclusions: The study's findings support the efficacy of tube weaning based on the published "Graz model of tube weaning" for children born with EA/TEF and indicate the necessity of specialized tube weaning programs for these patients. What is Known: • Children with esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula often suffer from feeding problems and tube dependency. • Different tube weaning programs and outcomes have been published, but not specifically for children with EA. What is New: • Evaluation of a large sample of children referred for tube weaning after EA repair. • Most children with EA can be weaned off their feeding tubes successfully after attending a specialized tube weaning program.

Improvement of exercise capacity following neonatal respiratory failure: A randomized controlled trial.

Exercise capacity deteriorates in school-aged children born with major anatomical foregut anomalies and/or treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether exercise capacity can be improved in the short term and long term in children born with anatomical foregut anomalies and/or treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Therefore, we evaluated two different interventions in this single-blinded randomized controlled trial. Forty participants were randomly assigned to group A: standardized anaerobic high-intensity interval training plus online lifestyle coaching program, B: online lifestyle coaching program only, or C: standard of care. Inclusion criteria were as follows: score ≤-1 standard deviation (SD) on the Bruce protocol. Exercise capacity was assessed at baseline (T0), after 3 months (T1), and after 12 months (T2). Exercise capacity improved over time: mean (SD) standard deviation score (SDS) endurance time: T0 -1.91 (0.73); T1 -1.35 (0.94); T2 -1.20 (1.03): both P < .001. No significant differences in maximal endurance time were found at T1 (group A-C: estimated mean difference (SDS): 0.06 P = .802; group B-C: -0.17 P = .733) or T2 (group A-C: -0.13 P = .635; group B-C: -0.18 P = .587). Exercise capacity improved significantly over time, irrespective of the study arm. Not only residual morbidities may be responsible for reduced exercise capacity. Parental awareness of reduced exercise capacity rather than specific interventions may have contributed. Monitoring of exercise tolerance and providing counseling on lifestyle factors that improve physical activity should be part of routine care, and aftercare should be offered on an individual basis.

Personalized Web-Based Weight Loss Behavior Change Program With and Without Dietitian Online Coaching for Adults With Overweight and Obesity: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: The effect of computer- or human-delivered personalized feedback on the effectivess of web-based behavior change platforms for weight loss is unclear. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare the effectiveness of a web-based behavior change intervention personalized through either computerized or human-delivered feedback with a nonpersonalized intervention in promoting weight loss in community-based adults with overweight or obesity. METHODS: This pragmatic, 3-group, parallel-arm, randomized trial recruited students and staff in a Brazilian public university who were aged 18 to 60 years, had a BMI of ≥25 kg/m2, and were not pregnant. Participants were allocated to one of 3 groups: platform only (24-week behavior change program delivered using a web platform with personalized computer-delivered feedback), platform plus coaching (same 24-week web-based behavior change program plus 12 weeks of personalized feedback delivered online by a dietitian), or waiting list (nonpersonalized dietary and physical activity recommendations delivered through an e-booklet and videos). Self-reported weight at 24 weeks was the primary outcome. Changes in dietary and physical activity habits within 24 weeks were secondary outcomes. RESULTS: Among the 1298 participants, 375 (28.89%) were lost to follow-up. In the intention-to-treat analysis, the platform-only and platform plus coaching groups had greater mean weight loss than the waiting-list group at 24 weeks (-1.08 kg, 95% CI -1.41 to -0.75 vs -1.57 kg, 95% CI -1.92 to -1.22 vs -0.66 kg, 95% CI -0.98 to -0.34, respectively). The platform-only and platform plus coaching groups, compared with the waiting list group, had a greater increase in the consumption of vegetables (3%, 95% CI 1% to 6% vs 5%, 95% CI 2% to 8% vs -3%, 95% CI -5% to 0%) and fruits (9%, 95% CI 6% to 12% vs 6%, 95% CI 2% to 9% vs 2%, 95% CI 0% to 6%) and a larger reduction in ultraprocessed food intake (-18%, 95% CI -23% to -13% vs -25%, 95% CI -30% to -20% vs -12%, 95% CI -16% to -8%). Changes in physical activity did not differ across the groups. Engagement was higher in the platform plus coaching group than in the platform-only group (7.6 vs 5.2 completed sessions; P=.007). Longer usage of the platform was associated with clinically meaningful (≥5%) weight loss (odds ratio 1.02, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.04). CONCLUSIONS: The web-based behavior change programs with computer- and human-delivered personalized feedback led to greater, albeit small-magnitude, weight loss within 24 weeks. Improvement in multiple dietary habits, but not physical activity, were also greater in the personalized programs compared with the nonpersonalized one. The human-delivered personalized feedback by the online dietitian coach increased user engagement with the program and was associated with a significantly higher chance of clinically meaningful weight loss. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03435445; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03435445. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.2196/10.1186/s12889-018-5882-y.

Effects of a digital intervention on physical activity in adults: A randomized controlled trial in a large-scale sample.

Background: Physical inactivity is associated with health risks, contributing to various diseases and all-cause mortality. Despite recommendations for regular physical activity (PA), many adults remain inactive, influenced by socioeconomic and environmental factors. Digital interventions, particularly web-based PA programs, offer promising possibilities to promote PA across populations. These programs vary in their effectiveness, reflecting differences in design, user engagement, and behavior change techniques employed. Objective: This study evaluates the effectiveness of the 12-week multimodal web-based TKFitnessCoach. The PA online program is part of the TK-HealthCoach. This study investigates the program's impact on self-reported PA levels, goal attainment, healthrelated quality of life, body weight, and eating behavior, comparing an interactive personalized web-based intervention and non-interactive web-based health information. Methods: In a randomized controlled trial (RCT), participants were allocated to either the intervention group (IG), receiving access to the interactive TK-FitnessCoach, or the control group (CG) that was provided a static website with evidence-based information on PA. The study targeted a German-speaking adult population interested in improving health behavior. Data was assessed at T0 (beginning of the study), T1 (postintervention), T2, 6 months, and T3, 12 months follow-ups, focusing on self-reported PA at T3 and on various secondary outcomes. Results: We achieved equally distributed sociodemographics in both the IG and the CG with a mean age of 42.8 (IG), resp. 43.1 years (CG), and female participants of 76.1 % (IG), resp. 74.7 % (CG). PA at baseline was 277.9 min/week in the IG and 273.3 min/week in the CG. Both, the IG (n = 1153 in the Intention-to-treat (ITT) dataset) and CG (n = 1177 in the ITT dataset) exhibited significant increases in PA over time (IG(T3-T0) = 72.92 min/week; CG(T3-T0) = 74.12 min/week).However, the study did not find significant differences in the effectiveness of the interactive TK-FitnessCoach compared to the non-interactive control in terms of improving PA and related health outcomes. The intensity of using the TK-FitnessCoach was not associated with PA. Conclusions: Both programs were effective in promoting PA among adults, with no significant differences observed between the two RCT groups. This highlights the potential of digital interventions in addressing physical inactivity, suggesting that the effectiveness of such programs may not solely depend on their interactivity but also on the quality and relevance of the information provided. Further research is needed to explore optimization strategies for such interventions, especially for persons with low PA, including user engagement, behavior change techniques, and the integration of objective PA tracking methods. Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00020249; https://drks.de/search/en/trial/DRKS00020249.

Defining digital coaching: a qualitative inductive approach.

The term 'digital coaching' is widely used but ill-defined. The present study therefore investigates how digital coaching is defined and how it differentiates from face-to-face coaching and other digital-technology-enabled (DT-enabled) formats, such as digital training, digital mentoring, or digital consulting. A qualitative inductive approach was chosen for more in-depth and open-minded content. Based on previous studies on the importance of asking coaches working in the field, 260 coaches working in the field of digital coaching were surveyed. The given answers depict the importance of differing between forms of DT-enabled coaching. Thus, digital coaching is a DT-enabled, synchronous conversation between a human coach and a human coachee, which is different to artificial intelligence (AI) coaching and coaching that is supported by asynchronous digital and learning communication technologies. Due to this definition and differentiation, future studies can explore the digital coaching process and its effectiveness - particularly in comparison to other formats. Furthermore, this clear definition enables practitioners to maintain professional standards and manage client's expectations of digital coaching while helping clients understand what to expect from digital coaching.

Evaluation of an Interactive Web-Based Health Program for Weight Loss-A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Personal behavior patterns, such as unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity, lead to the development of overweight and obesity. These are associated with other comorbidities, reduced quality of life, premature frailty and increased mortality. Personalized web-based interventions are promising in inducing behavioral change leading to effective reductions in body weight at relatively low costs. However, the long-term effects have not been thoroughly investigated. This work evaluates the effectiveness of web-based interactive weight loss coaching and compares it to a non-interactive web-based health program. Therefore, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) was implemented, measuring primary and secondary outcomes at four time points (program start; end of the 12-week-program; 6 months after program end, 12 months after program end). The net sample covered 1499 subjects in the intervention group and 1492 in the control group. On average, the IG was 43 years old (±13.6), 80.1% male, and had 86.4 kg body weight (±16.1) at baseline. The CG was 42.7 years old (±13.9), 79.5% male and had a mean body weight of 86.1 (±15.7). Multilevel analyses with fixed effects were carried out both from the perspective of an intention-to-treat (ITT) and a complete cases approach (CCA). In sum, our adjusted models suggest a weight loss of 0.4 kg per time point. At the end of the program, significant differences in weight loss in % to baseline (delta M = 1.8 in the CCA) were observed in favor of the intervention group. From a long-term perspective, no superiority of the intervention group in comparison to the control group could be found. More intensive use of the program was not statistically associated with higher weight loss.