New technological approaches for weight gain prevention and management in the Maltese setting

Abstract

Background: Obesity is a significant global and local health concern. Novel technologies include electronic health (e-health) and mobile health (m-health) and have been proven to successfully prevent and address excess weight. Nutrition professionals’ utilisation and experiences with digital tools in local practice is a relatively unresearched area. The aim of this study was therefore to explore the utilisation of novel technologies by locally registered nutritionists and dietitians with respect to weight prevention and management services. Method: An adapted and anonymised online questionnaire was disseminated between November 2021 and January 2022 following ethical approval. This included a total of 24 questions – (23 close-ended covering demographics, experiences, challenges and perceptions of technologies and one open-ended). The data was statistically analysed using SPSS software (IBM, SPSS version 23) where descriptive statistics and the Chi-squared test were utilised. Results: Sample respondents (n=20) were mainly females (85.0%, n=17) with the most prevalent age group being the 25-34 category (50.0%, n=10). 90.0% (n=18) used technologies in practice with e-health being more popular with personal computer and shared computer uses. 95.0% (n=19) expressed interest in being trained or further trained, with training considered to be extremely important (60.0%, n=12) irrespective of their years of practice (p=1.000). The main personal challenge respondents noted was a difficulty or lack of interest in utilising technologies for obesity prevention and management (65.0%, n=13). Increased client knowledge (85.0%, n=17) and engagement (80.0%, n=16) were noted as benefits for prevention and management of weight gain. Conclusion: The results of this small study suggest overall interest and some level of usage with a need for further training. More research on the specific uses and applications of e-health and m-health for local weight management and finding resourceful ways to provide further support is recommended.