Smartphones and Web 2.0. interventions for weight management
IntroductionThis systematic review and meta-analysis examine the effectiveness of smartphone and Web 2.0 interventions for weight management compared to traditional control interventions. The potential of smartphones and Web 2.0. technologies to transform health care and clinical intervention in the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Digital Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2025.1497680/full |
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| author | Muhammad K. Khan Ambreen Liaqat Ziyad A. Altokhais Bader A. Alotaibi Maryam Sadiq Munazza Rehman Zeeshan Ahsan Allana Hasan N. Tahir |
| author_facet | Muhammad K. Khan Ambreen Liaqat Ziyad A. Altokhais Bader A. Alotaibi Maryam Sadiq Munazza Rehman Zeeshan Ahsan Allana Hasan N. Tahir |
| author_sort | Muhammad K. Khan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThis systematic review and meta-analysis examine the effectiveness of smartphone and Web 2.0 interventions for weight management compared to traditional control interventions. The potential of smartphones and Web 2.0. technologies to transform health care and clinical intervention in the community are tremendous. This potential is incredibly increased by increasing adoption rates for smartphones and internet technologies.MethodologyTen randomized control trials published between 2015 and 2024 searched through PubMed and ScienceDirect were included. All studies with open access that assessed a smartphone or app intervention compared to a control group in randomized control trials, with weight-related body measures (i.e., body weight, BMI, waist circumference) and physical activity changes (steps/day) expressed in terms of mean and standard deviation performed in a population of adults were included. Review Manager software, version 5.4 (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration) was used for statistical analysis.ResultsThe results of our study indicate that digital interventions, particularly those utilizing direct communication methods like text messages and social media, significantly promote weight loss and reduce waist circumference (mean difference of −2.12 and −2.81 for weight change and waist circumstances respectively). While reductions in body mass index (BMI) with mean difference of −0.53 were less pronounced, they still favored intervention groups. Subgroup analyses performed to find out the source of heterogeneity revealed that three-arm randomized control trials, studies with larger sample sizes, and interventions lasting around six months showed more consistent and significant effects whereas for sensitivity analysis no significant change in heterogeneity was observed for all parameters. High heterogeneity among studies suggests the need for standardized study designs and intervention protocols in future research.ConclusionsDespite limitations such as technological issues and engagement variability, these findings underscore the potential of digital health interventions in addressing the global burden of obesity and related non-communicable diseases. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-086a913af5ae4afb826a08ae71ab5979 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2673-253X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Digital Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-086a913af5ae4afb826a08ae71ab59792025-08-20T02:11:30ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Digital Health2673-253X2025-04-01710.3389/fdgth.2025.14976801497680Smartphones and Web 2.0. interventions for weight managementMuhammad K. Khan0Ambreen Liaqat1Ziyad A. Altokhais2Bader A. Alotaibi3Maryam Sadiq4Munazza Rehman5Zeeshan Ahsan Allana6Hasan N. Tahir7Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Shaqra University, Shaqra, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Shaqra University, Shaqra, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Shaqra University, Shaqra, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Shaqra University, Shaqra, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Community Medicine, Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi, PakistanProsthodontics Department, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, PakistanDepartment of Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi, PakistanDepartment of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Shaqra University, Shaqra, Saudi ArabiaIntroductionThis systematic review and meta-analysis examine the effectiveness of smartphone and Web 2.0 interventions for weight management compared to traditional control interventions. The potential of smartphones and Web 2.0. technologies to transform health care and clinical intervention in the community are tremendous. This potential is incredibly increased by increasing adoption rates for smartphones and internet technologies.MethodologyTen randomized control trials published between 2015 and 2024 searched through PubMed and ScienceDirect were included. All studies with open access that assessed a smartphone or app intervention compared to a control group in randomized control trials, with weight-related body measures (i.e., body weight, BMI, waist circumference) and physical activity changes (steps/day) expressed in terms of mean and standard deviation performed in a population of adults were included. Review Manager software, version 5.4 (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration) was used for statistical analysis.ResultsThe results of our study indicate that digital interventions, particularly those utilizing direct communication methods like text messages and social media, significantly promote weight loss and reduce waist circumference (mean difference of −2.12 and −2.81 for weight change and waist circumstances respectively). While reductions in body mass index (BMI) with mean difference of −0.53 were less pronounced, they still favored intervention groups. Subgroup analyses performed to find out the source of heterogeneity revealed that three-arm randomized control trials, studies with larger sample sizes, and interventions lasting around six months showed more consistent and significant effects whereas for sensitivity analysis no significant change in heterogeneity was observed for all parameters. High heterogeneity among studies suggests the need for standardized study designs and intervention protocols in future research.ConclusionsDespite limitations such as technological issues and engagement variability, these findings underscore the potential of digital health interventions in addressing the global burden of obesity and related non-communicable diseases.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2025.1497680/fullsmartphoneWeb 2.0weight managementBMIwaist circumferenceintervention |
| spellingShingle | Muhammad K. Khan Ambreen Liaqat Ziyad A. Altokhais Bader A. Alotaibi Maryam Sadiq Munazza Rehman Zeeshan Ahsan Allana Hasan N. Tahir Smartphones and Web 2.0. interventions for weight management Frontiers in Digital Health smartphone Web 2.0 weight management BMI waist circumference intervention |
| title | Smartphones and Web 2.0. interventions for weight management |
| title_full | Smartphones and Web 2.0. interventions for weight management |
| title_fullStr | Smartphones and Web 2.0. interventions for weight management |
| title_full_unstemmed | Smartphones and Web 2.0. interventions for weight management |
| title_short | Smartphones and Web 2.0. interventions for weight management |
| title_sort | smartphones and web 2 0 interventions for weight management |
| topic | smartphone Web 2.0 weight management BMI waist circumference intervention |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2025.1497680/full |
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