Feasibility and Acceptability of Delivering a Postpartum Weight Loss Intervention via Facebook: A Pilot Study

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a Facebook-delivered postpartum weight loss intervention.

Methods: Overweight and obese postpartum women received a 12-week weight loss intervention via Facebook. Feasibility outcomes were recruitment, retention, engagement, and acceptability. Weight loss was an exploratory outcome.

Results: Participants (n = 19) were 3.5 (SD 2.2) months postpartum with a baseline body mass index of 30.1 (SD 4.2) kg/m². Retention was 95%. Forty-two percent of participants visibly engaged on the last day of the intervention, and 100% in the last 4 weeks; 88% were likely or very likely to participate again and 82% were likely or very likely to recommend the program to a postpartum friend. Average 12-week weight loss was 4.8% (SD 4.2%); 58% lost ≥5%.

Conclusions and implications: Findings suggested that this Facebook-delivered intervention is feasible and acceptable and supports research to test efficacy for weight loss. Research is needed to determine how best to engage participants in social network-delivered weight loss interventions.