A meta-analysis of eHealth interventions to promote physical activity in young, middle-aged, and late middle-aged adults with obesity or overweight

The purpose of this study was to calculate the effects of recent eHealth interventions to promote physical activity in young, middle-aged, and late middle-aged adults with obesity or overweight. This meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. In the search, 3550 articles were identified, and 15 studies met all inclusion criteria. The effects of recent eHealth interventions depended on the type of outcome variable: (a) intensity-based physical activity (e.g., moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity, average minutes per day from intensity categories, steps per day) or (b) energy expenditure-based physical activity (e.g., metabolic equivalent of task, kilocalories per week). The overall effects of recent eHealth interventions on the physical activity outcomes in adults with obesity were positive and ranged from small to medium in size. Ethnicity and weight status moderated the effects of recent eHealth interventions on physical activity outcomes. Results from this meta-analysis provided some evidence for both the utility of, and possible improvements to, eHealth interventions to promote health-enhancing physical activity in at-risk populations.