Efficacy of Interventions That Incorporate Mobile Apps in Facilitating Weight Loss and Health Behavior Change in the Asian Population: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
BackgroundSmartphone apps have shown potential in enhancing weight management in Western populations in the short to medium term. With a rapidly growing obesity burden in Asian populations, researchers are turning to apps as a service delivery platform to reach a larger targe...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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JMIR Publications
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Journal of Medical Internet Research |
| Online Access: | https://www.jmir.org/2021/11/e28185 |
| _version_ | 1797735556200792064 |
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| author | Siew Min Ang Juliana Chen Jia Huan Liew Jolyn Johal Yock Young Dan Margaret Allman-Farinelli Su Lin Lim |
| author_facet | Siew Min Ang Juliana Chen Jia Huan Liew Jolyn Johal Yock Young Dan Margaret Allman-Farinelli Su Lin Lim |
| author_sort | Siew Min Ang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
BackgroundSmartphone apps have shown potential in enhancing weight management in Western populations in the short to medium term. With a rapidly growing obesity burden in Asian populations, researchers are turning to apps as a service delivery platform to reach a larger target audience to efficiently address the problem.
ObjectiveThis systematic review and meta-analysis aims to determine the efficacy of interventions that incorporate apps in facilitating weight loss and health behavior change in the Asian population.
MethodsA total of 6 databases were searched in June 2020. The eligible studies included controlled trials in which an app was used in the intervention. The participants were aged 18 years or older and were of Asian ethnicity. A meta-analysis to test intervention efficacy, subgroup analyses, and post hoc analyses was conducted to determine the effects of adding an app to usual care and study duration. The primary outcome was absolute or percentage weight change, whereas the secondary outcomes were changes to lifestyle behaviors.
ResultsA total of 21 studies were included in this review, and 17 (81%) were selected for the meta-analysis. The pooled effect size across 82% (14/17) of the randomized controlled trials for weight change was small to moderate (Hedges g=–0.26; 95% CI –0.41 to –0.11), indicating slightly greater weight loss achieved in the intervention group; however, this may not be representative of long-term studies (lasting for more than a year). Supplementing multicomponent usual care with an app led to greater weight loss (Hedges g=–0.28; 95% CI –0.47 to –0.09). Asian apps were largely culturally adapted and multifunctional, with the most common app features being communication with health professionals and self-monitoring of behaviors and outcomes.
ConclusionsMore evidence is required to determine the efficacy of apps in the long term and address the low uptake of apps to maximize the potential of the intervention. Future research should determine the efficacy of each component of the multicomponent intervention to facilitate the designing of studies that are most effective and cost-efficient for weight management.
Trial RegistrationPROSPERO CRD42020165240; https://tinyurl.com/2db4tvn6 |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T13:00:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c13102a18b4c4494a4e248234bcb6bc7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1438-8871 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T13:00:47Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Medical Internet Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-c13102a18b4c4494a4e248234bcb6bc72023-08-28T19:47:09ZengJMIR PublicationsJournal of Medical Internet Research1438-88712021-11-012311e2818510.2196/28185Efficacy of Interventions That Incorporate Mobile Apps in Facilitating Weight Loss and Health Behavior Change in the Asian Population: Systematic Review and Meta-analysisSiew Min Anghttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-3391-8454Juliana Chenhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-2844-6947Jia Huan Liewhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-7649-0398Jolyn Johalhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4380-0580Yock Young Danhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-7546-2117Margaret Allman-Farinellihttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-6478-1374Su Lin Limhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8478-3193 BackgroundSmartphone apps have shown potential in enhancing weight management in Western populations in the short to medium term. With a rapidly growing obesity burden in Asian populations, researchers are turning to apps as a service delivery platform to reach a larger target audience to efficiently address the problem. ObjectiveThis systematic review and meta-analysis aims to determine the efficacy of interventions that incorporate apps in facilitating weight loss and health behavior change in the Asian population. MethodsA total of 6 databases were searched in June 2020. The eligible studies included controlled trials in which an app was used in the intervention. The participants were aged 18 years or older and were of Asian ethnicity. A meta-analysis to test intervention efficacy, subgroup analyses, and post hoc analyses was conducted to determine the effects of adding an app to usual care and study duration. The primary outcome was absolute or percentage weight change, whereas the secondary outcomes were changes to lifestyle behaviors. ResultsA total of 21 studies were included in this review, and 17 (81%) were selected for the meta-analysis. The pooled effect size across 82% (14/17) of the randomized controlled trials for weight change was small to moderate (Hedges g=–0.26; 95% CI –0.41 to –0.11), indicating slightly greater weight loss achieved in the intervention group; however, this may not be representative of long-term studies (lasting for more than a year). Supplementing multicomponent usual care with an app led to greater weight loss (Hedges g=–0.28; 95% CI –0.47 to –0.09). Asian apps were largely culturally adapted and multifunctional, with the most common app features being communication with health professionals and self-monitoring of behaviors and outcomes. ConclusionsMore evidence is required to determine the efficacy of apps in the long term and address the low uptake of apps to maximize the potential of the intervention. Future research should determine the efficacy of each component of the multicomponent intervention to facilitate the designing of studies that are most effective and cost-efficient for weight management. Trial RegistrationPROSPERO CRD42020165240; https://tinyurl.com/2db4tvn6https://www.jmir.org/2021/11/e28185 |
| spellingShingle | Siew Min Ang Juliana Chen Jia Huan Liew Jolyn Johal Yock Young Dan Margaret Allman-Farinelli Su Lin Lim Efficacy of Interventions That Incorporate Mobile Apps in Facilitating Weight Loss and Health Behavior Change in the Asian Population: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Journal of Medical Internet Research |
| title | Efficacy of Interventions That Incorporate Mobile Apps in Facilitating Weight Loss and Health Behavior Change in the Asian Population: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis |
| title_full | Efficacy of Interventions That Incorporate Mobile Apps in Facilitating Weight Loss and Health Behavior Change in the Asian Population: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis |
| title_fullStr | Efficacy of Interventions That Incorporate Mobile Apps in Facilitating Weight Loss and Health Behavior Change in the Asian Population: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Efficacy of Interventions That Incorporate Mobile Apps in Facilitating Weight Loss and Health Behavior Change in the Asian Population: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis |
| title_short | Efficacy of Interventions That Incorporate Mobile Apps in Facilitating Weight Loss and Health Behavior Change in the Asian Population: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis |
| title_sort | efficacy of interventions that incorporate mobile apps in facilitating weight loss and health behavior change in the asian population systematic review and meta analysis |
| url | https://www.jmir.org/2021/11/e28185 |
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