Does physician familiarity enhance video-based lifestyle counseling in adults with overweight or obesity? A randomized controlled trial.
Patient Educ CounsSep 7, 2026 (epub)
Adolfo Taverner-Aparicio, Pedro Múzquiz-Barberá, Vicent Benavent-Caballer et al.
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In 30 seconds
This multicenter randomized controlled trial investigated the impact of physician familiarity on video-based lifestyle counseling effectiveness in 115 adults with overweight or class I obesity. Results indicated that counseling by familiar physicians led to a significant reduction in body mass index, with an adjusted difference of -0.5 kg/m² compared to unfamiliar physicians (P = 0.013).
Key findings
- The experimental group had a lower post-intervention body mass index, with an adjusted difference of -0.5 kg/m² (P = 0.013).
- Weekly sitting time decreased by an adjusted difference of -39 min/week in the experimental group (P = 0.049).
- In the per-protocol analysis, the adjusted difference in body mass index was -0.9 kg/m² (P = 0.009).
- Improvements in Mediterranean diet adherence and health-related quality of life were noted in the experimental group.
Why it matters
The study highlights the potential benefits of maintaining relational continuity in digital health interventions, suggesting that familiar physicians may enhance patient engagement and outcomes in lifestyle counseling for obesity management.