Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30783535›Full record

ArticleDigital health

A systematic review of tailored eHealth interventions for weight loss.

Kathleen Ryan, Samantha Dockray, Conor Linehan

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Digital health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04461184 (The Great Plains Internet Wellness Study for Aging), which is not on this map. Cited by 99 papers, 15 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
99citing papers in PubMed, 15 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04461184 nacompletednot on this map

The Great Plains Internet Wellness Study for Aging: The GP I-WAS Project

TypeinterventionalSponsorNorth Dakota State UniversityRan2021 to 2021Enrolled14ConditionsInternet Based Wellness Program, Obesity, Adult PopulationArmsInternet Wellness Intervention for Aging
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

99 citing papers in PubMed, 15 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  2. Identifying Social Media-Based Interactions That Help Adults to Adhere to Weight Loss Goals: A Systematic Review.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2026
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  16. Trial
  17. Food Addiction in Individuals With Overweight and Obesity Undergoing a 12-Week Long Tailored mHealth Weight Loss Intervention.European eating disorders review : the journal of the Eating Disorders Association · 2025
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39 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Kathleen RyanSchool of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Ireland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9277-6364
Samantha DockraySchool of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Ireland.
Conor LinehanSchool of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Ireland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe aim of this study is to review the evidence for tailored eHealth weight-loss interventions, describing in detail: 1. how tailoring was implemented in these studies and 2. whether these tailored approaches were effective in producing weight loss compared with generic or inactive controls.

methodsA systematic review was carried out. Five databases were searched up until 15 March, 2018, including: EBSCO, Science Direct, Pubmed, EMBASE and Web of Science, using combinations of the concepts 'tailoring', 'eHealth' and 'overweight'.

resultsEight articles relating to six interventions were accepted. Tailoring was carried out in a number of ways, based on, for example, anthropometric data, health-related behaviours (e.g. dietary intake, physical activity), goals (e.g. weight goal), theoretical determinants (e.g. confidence/willingness to change behaviours), psychosocial factors (e.g. social support) and participant location. Systems acquired data using strategies that ranged from online questionnaire administration, to the dynamic gathering of data from web-based diaries, websites, mobile applications and SMS messaging. Tailored interventions were more effective in supporting weight loss than generic or waitlist controls in four of the six articles. Effect sizes were very small to moderate, with evidence for fluctuations in effect sizes and differences of effect between tailoring and non-tailoring interventions, and between tailoring types, over time.

conclusionsWe contribute an enhanced understanding of the variety of methods used for the tailoring of eHealth interventions for weight loss and propose a model for categorising tailoring approaches.

Indexed as

eHealthengagementhealth behaviour changeobesitypersonalisationsystematic reviewTailoringweight loss

Identifiers

PMID30783535
PMCPMC6366004

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.