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Meta-Analysis
. 2021 Nov 16;23(11):e28185.
doi: 10.2196/28185.

Efficacy of Interventions That Incorporate Mobile Apps in Facilitating Weight Loss and Health Behavior Change in the Asian Population: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Siew Min Ang #  1 , Juliana Chen #  2 , Jia Huan Liew  3 , Jolyn Johal  4 , Yock Young Dan  5 , Margaret Allman-Farinelli  2 , Su Lin Lim  1
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Efficacy of Interventions That Incorporate Mobile Apps in Facilitating Weight Loss and Health Behavior Change in the Asian Population: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Siew Min Ang et al. J Med Internet Res. .

Abstract

Background: Smartphone 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.

Objective: This 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.

Methods: A 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.

Results: A 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.

Conclusions: More 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 registration: PROSPERO CRD42020165240; https://tinyurl.com/2db4tvn6.

Keywords: Asian; adults; diet; meta-analysis; mobile app; mobile phone; obesity; physical activity; systematic review; weight loss.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) flow diagram. CENTRAL: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. CINAHL: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plot showing the pooled effects of the interventions that incorporate apps on weight change. RE: random effects; SMD: standardized mean difference.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Forest plot showing the pooled effects of interventions combining usual care with app (intervention) versus usual care alone (control) on weight change. RE: random effects; SMD: standardized mean difference.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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