Recruitment and Retention of Healthy Women with Obesity for a Psychophysiological Study before and After Weight Loss: Insights, Challenges, and Suggestions

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper is to present data on participant recruitment, retention, and weight loss success during a psychophysiological study in women with obesity. METHODS: Volunteers were women with obesity, 20 – 45 yr, with a BMI between 30 – 45 kg/m(2). The study was approximately 20 weeks in duration, including a 12-week weight loss program. RESULTS: Recruitment was not completed until 8 months past the original projected date of 12 months. The study was not completed until 11 months past the original projected completion date of 14 months. On average 4.4 ± 2.1 (mean ± SD) volunteers were consented per month (N = 99) and 2.5 ± 1.1 participants started the weight loss program per month. 24% of consented volunteers were lost due to exclusion criteria, withdrawals, and unresponsive behavior before starting the weight loss program. Attrition of participants who started the weight loss program was 45%. Only 11% of those who started the program were unable to lose weight (N = 6). CONCLUSION: Recruiting and/or weight loss success do not always present the most challenging aspects of completing a psychophysiological weight loss intervention. While participant attrition during a weight loss program can occur for a wide range of reasons supportive efforts in the early phases of the intervention may maximize retention.