{"doi":"10.1093/abm/kaae085","title":"Yes I can! Exploring the impact of self-efficacy in a digital weight loss intervention","abstract":"BACKGROUND: Self-efficacy is a modifiable intervention target in behavioral weight loss interventions. However, its role in the context of digital interventions is less clear. PURPOSE: To determine change in self-efficacy in a digital weight loss intervention, and whether self-efficacy is associated with engagement in self-monitoring diet or weight loss. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of the GoalTracker study among 100 adults with overweight or obesity enrolled in a 12-week standalone digital weight loss intervention emphasizing daily self-monitoring. At baseline, 1 month, and 3 months, we assessed self-efficacy for controlling eating (via the Weight Efficacy Lifestyle Questionnaire; WELQ) and self-efficacy for tracking diet. Dietary self-monitoring engagement data were collected from the MyFitnessPal app. Weight was collected in person on a calibrated scale. Analyses included participants with complete data (N range: 72-99). RESULTS: Positive change from baseline to 1 month in self-efficacy for controlling eating was associated with higher dietary self-monitoring engagement (r = 0.21, P = .008) but not with 3-month weight change (r = -0.20, P = .052). Meanwhile, positive change from baseline to 1 month in self-efficacy for tracking diet was associated in a beneficial direction with both outcomes (r = 0.57, P < .001; r = -0.35, P < .001, respectively). However, on average, self-efficacy for controlling eating did not change over time while self-efficacy for tracking diet decreased (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Improvements in self-efficacy-particularly for tracking diet-early on in a digital weight loss intervention served as a mechanism of greater engagement and weight loss, highlighting the need for strengthening intervention strategies that promote early self-efficacy within a digital context.","journal":"Annals of Behavioral Medicine","year":2024,"id":452067,"datarank":0.0,"base_score":0.0,"endowment":0.0,"self_citation_contribution":0.0,"citation_network_contribution":0.0,"self_endowment_contribution":0.0,"citer_contribution":0.0,"corpus_percentile":null,"corpus_rank":null,"citation_count":3,"citer_count":0,"citers_with_citation_signal":0,"citers_with_endowment":0,"datacite_reuse_total":0,"is_dataset":false,"is_dataset_confidence":0.8852,"is_data_producer":false,"deposit_databanks":null,"is_oa":true,"file_count":0,"downloads":0,"has_version_chain":false,"published_date":"2024-01-01","fair_score":null,"fair_percentile":null,"algorithm_id":"datarank_citation_only_1hop_v6","ranking_scope":"data_only","authors":[{"id":819,"name":"Christopher D. Gardner","orcid":"0000-0002-7596-1530","position":1,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":823,"name":"­Abby C. King","orcid":"0000-0002-7949-8811","position":2,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":443125,"name":"Michele L Patel","orcid":"0000-0001-5307-4861","position":3,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":1273922,"name":"Angel E Cleare","orcid":"0000-0002-5053-6095","position":0,"is_corresponding":true}],"reference_count":51,"raw_metadata":null,"created_at":"2026-07-19T02:02:50.407779Z","pmid":"39673768","pmcid":null,"fwci":null,"citation_percentile":null,"influential_citations":0,"oa_status":null,"license":null,"views":0,"total_file_size_bytes":0,"version_count":0,"fair_f":null,"fair_a":null,"fair_i":null,"fair_r":null,"fair_zscore":null,"fair_rationale":null,"fair_model":null,"fair_agent_version":null,"fair_fulltext_source":null,"fair_has_llm":null,"fair_computed_at":null,"clinical_trials":[],"software_tools":[],"db_accessions":[],"linked_datasets":[],"topics":[]}