JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Obesity is a complex health condition with multiple associated comorbidities and increased economic costs. People from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds are more likely to be overweight and obese and are less successful in traditional weight management programmes. eHealth interventions may be successful in reaching people from low-SES groups compared to traditional face to face models, by overcoming certain barriers associated with traditional interventions. It is not yet known, however, if eHealth weight management interventions are effective in people living with overweight and obesity from a low-SES background.

Objective:

The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of eHealth weight management interventions for people with overweight and obesity from low-SES groups.

Methods:

A systematic review on relevant electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, EMCARE and CINAHL) up until May 2021 will be undertaken to identify eligible studies published in English. Using the PRISMA statement to guide the systematic review, two reviewers will independently screen, select and extract data and complete a risk of bias assessment of search results, according to pre-defined criteria. Studies that have investigated an eHealth weight management intervention within a low-SES population will be included. Primary outcomes include weight, BMI and % weight change compared at baseline and at least one other time point. Secondary outcomes may include a range of anthropometric and physical fitness and activity measures. If sufficient studies are homogeneous, then we will pool results of individual outcomes using meta-analysis.

Results:

Searches have been completed, resulting in 2256 studies identified. Once duplicates were removed, 1545 studies remain for title and abstract review.

Conclusions:

The use of eHealth in weight management programmes have increased significantly recently and will continue to do so, however it is uncertain if eHealth weight management programmes are effective in a low-SES population. The results of this systematic review will therefore provide a summary of the evidence for interventions utilising eHealth for people with overweight and obesity and from a low-SES background. Clinical Trial: This systematic review protocol was registered with PROSPERO- registration CRD42021243973.