Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Physician communication techniques and weight loss in adults: Project CHAT.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Pollak, KI; Alexander, SC; Coffman, CJ; Tulsky, JA; Lyna, P; Dolor, RJ; James, IE; Brouwer, RJN; Manusov, JRE; Østbye, T
Published in: Am J Prev Med
October 2010

BACKGROUND: Physicians are encouraged to counsel overweight and obese patients to lose weight. PURPOSE: It was examined whether discussing weight and use of motivational interviewing techniques (e.g., collaborating, reflective listening) while discussing weight predicted weight loss 3 months after the encounter. METHODS: Forty primary care physicians and 461 of their overweight or obese patient visits were audio recorded between December 2006 and June 2008. Patient actual weight at the encounter and 3 months after the encounter (n=426); whether weight was discussed; physicians' use of motivational interviewing techniques; and patient, physician, and visit covariates (e.g., race, age, specialty) were assessed. This was an observational study and data were analyzed in April 2009. RESULTS: No differences in weight loss were found between patients whose physicians discussed weight or did not. Patients whose physicians used motivational interviewing-consistent techniques during weight-related discussions lost weight 3 months post-encounter; those whose physician used motivational interviewing-inconsistent techniques gained or maintained weight. The estimated difference in weight change between patients whose physician had a higher global motivational interviewing-Spirit score (e.g., collaborated with patient) and those whose physician had a lower score was 1.6 kg (95% CI=-2.9, -0.3, p=0.02). The same was true for patients whose physician used reflective statements: 0.9 kg (95% CI=-1.8, -0.1, p=0.03). Similarly, patients whose physicians expressed only motivational interviewing-consistent behaviors had a difference in weight change of 1.1 kg (95% CI=-2.3, 0.1, p=0.07) compared to those whose physician expressed only motivational interviewing-inconsistent behaviors (e.g., judging, confronting). CONCLUSIONS: In this observational study, use of motivational interviewing techniques during weight loss discussions predicted patient weight loss.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Am J Prev Med

DOI

EISSN

1873-2607

Publication Date

October 2010

Volume

39

Issue

4

Start / End Page

321 / 328

Location

Netherlands

Related Subject Headings

  • Weight Loss
  • Public Health
  • Physician-Patient Relations
  • Overweight
  • Obesity
  • Motivation
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Interviews as Topic
  • Humans
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Pollak, K. I., Alexander, S. C., Coffman, C. J., Tulsky, J. A., Lyna, P., Dolor, R. J., … Østbye, T. (2010). Physician communication techniques and weight loss in adults: Project CHAT. Am J Prev Med, 39(4), 321–328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2010.06.005
Pollak, Kathryn I., Stewart C. Alexander, Cynthia J. Coffman, James A. Tulsky, Pauline Lyna, Rowena J. Dolor, Iguehi E. James, Rebecca J Namenek Brouwer, Justin R. E. Manusov, and Truls Østbye. “Physician communication techniques and weight loss in adults: Project CHAT.Am J Prev Med 39, no. 4 (October 2010): 321–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2010.06.005.
Pollak KI, Alexander SC, Coffman CJ, Tulsky JA, Lyna P, Dolor RJ, et al. Physician communication techniques and weight loss in adults: Project CHAT. Am J Prev Med. 2010 Oct;39(4):321–8.
Pollak, Kathryn I., et al. “Physician communication techniques and weight loss in adults: Project CHAT.Am J Prev Med, vol. 39, no. 4, Oct. 2010, pp. 321–28. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2010.06.005.
Pollak KI, Alexander SC, Coffman CJ, Tulsky JA, Lyna P, Dolor RJ, James IE, Brouwer RJN, Manusov JRE, Østbye T. Physician communication techniques and weight loss in adults: Project CHAT. Am J Prev Med. 2010 Oct;39(4):321–328.
Journal cover image

Published In

Am J Prev Med

DOI

EISSN

1873-2607

Publication Date

October 2010

Volume

39

Issue

4

Start / End Page

321 / 328

Location

Netherlands

Related Subject Headings

  • Weight Loss
  • Public Health
  • Physician-Patient Relations
  • Overweight
  • Obesity
  • Motivation
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Interviews as Topic
  • Humans