Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32706724›Full record

SynthesisJMIR mHealth and uHealth2020

Use of Mobile Phone App Interventions to Promote Weight Loss: Meta-Analysis.

Md Mohaimenul Islam, Tahmina Nasrin Poly, Bruno Andres Walther, Yu-Chuan Jack Li

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 64 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
64citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
20.0field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

64 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 122 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 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

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Md Mohaimenul IslamGraduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.ORCID 0000-0001-6026-2748
Tahmina Nasrin PolyGraduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.ORCID 0000-0002-3484-0222
Bruno Andres WaltherDepartment of Biological Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.ORCID 0000-0002-0425-1443
Yu-Chuan Jack LiGraduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.ORCID 0000-0001-6497-4232
Wan Fang Hospital · TWNational Sun Yat-sen University · TW

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundObesity and lack of physical activity are major health risk factors for many life-threatening diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. The use of mobile app interventions to promote weight loss and boost physical activity among children and adults is fascinating owing to the demand for cutting-edge and more efficient interventions. Previously published studies have examined different types of technology-based interventions and their impact on weight loss and increase in physical activity, but evidence regarding the impact of only a mobile phone app on weight loss and increase in physical activity is still lacking.

objectiveThe main objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of a mobile phone app intervention for reducing body weight and increasing physical activity among children and adults.

methodsPubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, EMBASE, and the Web of Science electronic databases were searched for studies published between January 1, 2000, and April 30, 2019, without language restrictions. Two experts independently screened all the titles and abstracts to find the most appropriate studies. To be included, studies had to be either a randomized controlled trial or a case-control study that assessed a mobile phone app intervention with body weight loss and physical activity outcomes. The Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias tool was used to examine the risk of publication bias.

resultsA total of 12 studies involving a mobile phone app intervention were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with the control group, the use of a mobile phone app was associated with significant changes in body weight (-1.07 kg, 95% CI -1.92 to -0.21, P=.01) and body mass index (-0.45 kg/m2, 95% CI -0.78 to -0.12, P=.008). Moreover, a nonsignificant increase in physical activity was observed (0.17, 95% CI -2.21 to 2.55, P=.88).

conclusionsThe findings of this study demonstrate the promising and emerging efficacy of using mobile phone app interventions for weight loss. Future studies are needed to explore the long-term efficacy of mobile app interventions in larger samples.

Indexed as

Health PromotionMobile ApplicationsAdolescentAdultAgedCase-Control StudiesCell PhoneChildDiabetes Mellitus, Type 2FemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPregnancyRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicWeight LossmHealthmobile appobesityphysical activityweight gain prevention

Identifiers

PMID32706724
PMCPMC7407260
OpenAlexW3044373683

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.