Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42911506›Full record

ArticleQuality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation2026

Disentangling direct and weight-mediated effects of physical activity on health-related quality of life in a 12-month real-world digital lifestyle intervention.

Isabel McCann, Anu Joki, Laura-Unnukka Suojanen, Mikko S Venäläinen, Kirsi H Pietiläinen, Aila J Ahola

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04019249 (HealthyWeightHub.fi), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–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.

NCT04019249 narecruitingnot on this map

HealthyWeightHub.fi: Web-based Management of Obesity in a Real-life Clinical Setting

TypeinterventionalSponsorHelsinki University Central HospitalRan2016 to 2030Enrolled6,000ConditionsObesityArmsHealthy Weight Coaching
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

6 authors.

Isabel McCannUniversity of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-7740-9777
Anu JokiObesity Research Unit, Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Biomedicum 1, Haartmaninkatu 8, PO Box 63, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7814-2186
Laura-Unnukka SuojanenHealthy Weight Hub, Abdominal Centre, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0771-8026
Mikko S VenäläinenDepartment of Medical Physics, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1777-4259
Kirsi H PietiläinenObesity Research Unit, Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Biomedicum 1, Haartmaninkatu 8, PO Box 63, 00014, Helsinki, Finland. kirsi.pietilainen@helsinki.fi.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8522-1288
Aila J AholaObesity Research Unit, Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Biomedicum 1, Haartmaninkatu 8, PO Box 63, 00014, Helsinki, Finland. aila.ahola@helsinki.fi.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5200-4597

Funding

Novo Nordisk Fonden NNF10OC1013354, NNF17OC0027232, NNF20OC0060547, NNF24OC0091683, NNF25SA0103783Research Council of Finland, Finland 266286, 272376, 314383, 335443, and 369181
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo examine whether participation in a 12-month digital lifestyle program was associated with increased physical activity and whether physical activity was associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) independently of weight loss.

methodsSelf-reported weight and height were used to calculate body mass index (BMI). Physical activity (metabolic equivalent of task hours, MET-h/day) was assessed using a web-based questionnaire at baseline, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. HRQoL was measured with the RAND-36 at baseline, 6, and 12 months yielding eight domains and physical and mental component scores. Longitudinal mixed-effects models and mediation analyses were used to examine associations between physical activity, BMI, and HRQoL over time.

resultsIn 1732 individuals (82.9% women, median age 52 years, BMI 39.0 kg/m

conclusionParticipation in a digital lifestyle program was associated with increased physical activity, and physical activity was associated with better HRQoL largely independently of weight change, although follow-up was incomplete and the magnitude of the individual associations was modest. Physical activity merits attention as a treatment goal alongside weight management.

trial registrationThe trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (Clinical Trials Identifier NCT04019249). Registration date 12 Jul 2019. Retrospectively registered.

Indexed as

Body WeightExerciseLife StyleQuality of LifeAdultBody Mass IndexDigital HealthDigital MediaFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedObesitySurveys and QuestionnairesWeight LossDigital lifestyle interventionHealth-related quality of lifeObesityPhysical activity

Identifiers

PMID42911506

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.