Research
Diabetes PreventionNoom’s Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) was the first-ever virtual DPP to receive CDC recognition in 2017—and now maintains its highest distinction, Full Plus Recognition.
Weight Loss Efficacy of a Novel Mobile Diabetes Prevention Program Delivery Platform with Human Coaching
- Published in the British Medical Journal Open Diabetes Research and Care (2016)
- Evaluated the weight loss efficacy of a Noom DPP in 43 overweight or obese adult participants with a diagnosis of prediabetes.
- Weight loss at 16 and 24 weeks was significant, with 56% of program starters (read 1 or more lessons per week on 4 or more core weeks) and 64% of program completers (read 9 or more lessons per week on core weeks) losing over 5% body weight at 24 weeks. Mean weight loss at 24 weeks was 6.58% in starters and 7.5% in completers.
- Participants were highly engaged, with 84% of the sample completing 9 lessons or more (CDC standard)
- In-app actions related to self-monitoring (e.g., weekly weigh-ins and number of meals logged) significantly predicted weight loss. Group posts were also associated with percent weight loss.
Usefulness of a Novel Mobile Diabetes Prevention Program Delivery Platform With Human Coaching
- Published in the Journal of Internet Medical Research (JMIR) mHealth and uHealth (2018)
- This is a follow-up of the study above on results from a 24-week DPP fully mobile pilot intervention, extending previous findings to evaluate weight loss efficacy of core and maintenance DPP interventions at 65 weeks from baseline.
- At 65 weeks, mean weight loss was 6.15% in starters (read 1 or more lessons per week on 4 or more core weeks), 7.36% in completers (read 9 or more lessons per week on core weeks), and 8.98% in maintenance completers (did any action in postcore weeks). 44% of starters, 53% of completers, and 66% of maintenance completers lost at least 5% of their body weight.
- In maintenance completers, mean body weight decreased significantly by 7.54 kg from baseline to 24 weeks and was sustained over time by 8.77 kg from baseline to 65 weeks.
- Participants were highly engaged with 80% of the sample completing 9 lessons or more and 69% completing the maintenance phase.
- Meal logging and group posts significantly predicted greater weight loss
Enabling Self-management of a Chronic Condition through Patient-centered Coaching
- Published in Health Communication (2019)
- DPP coaches used several patient-centered strategies for enacting sustainable behavior change:
- Trigger reflections on users’ routinized habits
- Jointly determining a measurable health goal
- Facilitating self-evaluations on recent behavior change
- Tailoring programs to adapt to users’ lifestyle or health status
- Coaches’ communication patterns demonstrated a high level of situational understanding of user routines.
Mobile Delivery of the Diabetes Prevention Program in People with Prediabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Published in the Journal of Internet Medical Research (JMIR) mHealth and uHealth (2020)
- Examined the long-term weight loss and glycemic efficacy (hemoglobin A1c) of Noom’s DPP compared to a usual care control group
- DPP core had 20 weeks of core content and up to 52 weeks for the maintenance phase
- 202 participants were assigned to Noom DPP (n=101) or the control group (n=99)
- At 6 months, weight loss was greater among the intervention group (-3.69%) and intervention completers (-5.59%) compared to the control group (-0.15%).
- At 12 months, weight loss was greater among the intervention group (-2.54%) and the intervention completers (-4.66%) compared to the control group (+0.33%).
- Weight change at 12 months was predicted by more frequent weigh ins, logging more steps, and more frequent meal logging
- There were small, but significant decreases in HbA1c at 6 and 12 months for each group
- 6 months: intervention group (-0.15%), intervention completers (-0.17%), control group (-0.17%)
- 12 months: intervention group (-0.23%), intervention completers (-0.28%), control group (-0.16%)
Relationship Between Age and Weight Loss in Noom: Quasi-Experimental Study
- Published in JMIR Diabetes (2020)
- Examined weight loss of middle-age and older adults
- Adults (median age = 51.0) lost 5.7% of their body weight at week 16 and 8.1% of their body weight at week 52