Deaf Weight Wise (DWW), a culturally appropriate, language-accessible behavioral weight loss intervention, was effective for weight loss among deaf people who use American sign language, according to results published in Obesity. Steven Barnett, MD, and colleagues examined the efficacy of DWW, which primarily uses changes in diet and exercise to achieve a healthy lifestyle and weight, among 104 deaf adults aged 40-70 (BMI, 25-45) randomly assigned to immediate intervention (N=48) or intervention delayed by 1 year (N=56). Data were gathered every 6 months from baseline to 24 months. At 6 months, the difference in mean weight change for the immediate intervention arm versus the delayed intervention arm was -3.4 kg (multiplicity-adjusted P=0.0424). Most participants in the immediate arm (61.6%) lost 5% or more of baseline weight versus 18.1% in the delayed intervention arm (P<0.001). Participant engagement indicators included a mean attendance of 11/16 sessions (69%), and most participants (92%) completed 24-month data collection. “DWW models a community-partnered and language-concordant approach to promote healthy weight that could be adapted for use with other language-minority communities,” Dr. Barnett and colleagues wrote.
