Digital program to help teens manage weight and healthy habits

Effectiveness of Multi-Modal Digital Interventions for Adolescent Weight Management: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This trial tries a multi-modal digital program—AI coaching, interactive platforms, gamified apps, and real-time feedback—to help overweight teens (ages 12–18, BMI ≥85th percentile) adopt healthier weight-control behaviors and avoid unhealthy practices.

Quick facts

• Phase: Not applicable
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 200 (estimated)
• Ages: 12 Years to 18 Years
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (Academic / other)
• Locations: 2 sites (Taipei, Taiwan and 1 other locations)
• Trial ID: NCT06920862 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This randomized controlled trial tests a Theory of Planned Behavior–based, multi-modal digital intervention using AI-driven coaching, interactive platforms, gamified apps, and real-time feedback to change attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control among adolescents with overweight or obesity. Adolescents aged 12–18 with BMI at or above the 85th percentile will be randomized to receive the digital intervention or a comparison condition and will provide parental consent. Outcomes include changes in TPB constructs, weight-control intentions, and both healthy and unhealthy weight-control behaviors, with secondary attention to body image and mental health as moderators. The trial is conducted at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University sites in Taipei and Hsinchu and uses digital monitoring and self-report measures to capture behavior and engagement.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Adolescents aged 12–18 with BMI ≥85th percentile who can use a smartphone, tablet, or computer and whose parent or guardian provides consent are ideal candidates.

Not a fit: Those with severe psychiatric disorders, major communication impairments, prior negative experiences with digital health tools, severe motion sickness, or current enrollment in another weight-management program are unlikely to benefit.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the program could help overweight adolescents form lasting healthy weight-control habits while reducing risky behaviors like meal skipping, purging, or misuse of diet pills.

How similar studies have performed: Previous TPB-based and some digital interventions have shown promise for improving intentions and behaviors in adolescents, but combining AI-driven coaching, gamification, and real-time feedback in a single multi-modal program is relatively novel and not yet widely proven.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* Adolescents aged 12-18 years.
* Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥ 85th percentile according to the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) standards.
* Willing to participate in a digital intervention for weight control.
* At least one parent or guardian provides consent for participation.
* Able to understand and use digital devices (smartphones, tablets, or computers).

Exclusion Criteria:

* Significant communication barriers (e.g., severe speech, hearing, or cognitive impairments).
* Psychiatric disorders that affect interpersonal interaction (e.g., schizophrenia, severe depression).
* Previous negative experiences with digital health interventions (VR or AI-based coaching).
* Severe motion sickness that affects the ability to use VR-based tools.
* Currently enrolled in another weight management program that may interfere with study outcomes.

Where this trial is running

Taipei, Taiwan and 1 other locations

• National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University — Taipei, Taiwan, Taiwan (Recruiting)
• National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University — Hsinchu, Taiwan (Not_yet_recruiting)

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Peiching Liu, PhD

Conditions Obesity, Adolescent; Weight Change, Body; Weight Stigma