Couples-based weight loss with a mobile app
Official title: Optimizing a couples-based mHealth intervention for weight management
Funded at University of Connecticut Storrs · NIH-11381762 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A couple-focused weight loss program delivered through a mobile app that helps partners support each other to lose weight together.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Connecticut Storrs NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Storrs-Mansfield, United States) |
| Project start | May 15, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $651,714 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK132386-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11381762 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults in a romantic relationship who share a home and want to lose weight.
✕Less likely to help
Couples not interested in using a mobile app or not willing to engage in a couple-based program.
What this research studies
This project uses a smartphones app to deliver a couples-based weight loss program and tests which dyadic components help couples lose weight most effectively. It builds on a core behavioral program and adds four joint strategies, such as planning together, sharing progress, supporting each other’s autonomy, and modifying home environments. The study uses a factorial design to determine which combination of these components works best when paired with standard weight loss lessons and self-monitoring. The aim is to find an efficient, evidence-based approach that leverages the couple’s dynamic to boost outcomes. If successful, it could lead to more effective, convenient weight management options for partners living together.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, couples could lose more weight together using a flexible mobile approach that fits their daily lives.
How similar studies have gone: Early dyadic weight loss efforts showed mixed but promising results; this study uses a rigorous design to improve on prior work.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Connecticut Storrs
Storrs-Mansfield, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gorin, Amy a — University of Connecticut Storrs
- Study coordinator: Gorin, Amy a
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
EMBER: a self-help tool to boost Veterans' use of VA weight-management programs
A self-guided motivational tool to help Veterans learn about and join VA weight-management services.
-
Weight management and center-based heart health program for Black adults with CKD
A multi-component lifestyle program is tested to help Black adults with chronic kidney disease lower blood pressure and improve heart and kidney health.
-
GLP-1 receptor agonists before pregnancy to improve weight and pregnancy outcomes
This project looks at whether using GLP-1 receptor agonists before pregnancy can help women with obesity lose weight and have better pregnancy outcomes.
-
Hybrid implementation approach to scale a weight‑management program for adults with serious mental illness
A Johns Hopkins team is testing how to spread and sustain a proven weight‑loss program for adults with serious mental illness in community mental health settings.
-
Addressing appetitive traits to promote weight management in children who overeat
A family-based program is being tested to help children who overeat improve weight management by reducing food cues and increasing fullness signals.
-
Teaching doctors how to talk with patients about weight and related health
This project teaches medical residents to use short, spaced lessons and video practice over a year to improve how they talk with adult patients about weight, healthy habits, and conditions like type 2 diabetes.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.