Efficacy of Telehealth in Improving Physical Activity Level in Individuals with Overweight or Obesity: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Background and Objective. The COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed lifestyles and reduced opportunities to exercise, leading to physical inactivity in all populations, especially the obese cohort. Luckily, telehealth may positively help people engage in physical activity. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of telehealth in increasing physical activity among people with obesity.

Methods. This study is a literature review. Articles were sought from the CiNAHL, Proquest, MEDLINE, and PUBMED databases from August to September 2021 following predetermined strategies, inclusion, and exclusion criteria. The quality of the studies was appraised using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist Tools. Data Extraction was conducted using the JBI Data Extraction From for Observational/Experimental Studies.

Results. Five studies were included in this literature review. Due to the heterogeneity of study designs and outcome measures, a narrative synthesis was conducted. Most of the studies used mobile apps to deliver health programs to adults with obesity. Overall, studies reported the medium to large positive effects of telehealth in improving physical activity outcomes favoring the telehealth group (Fitbit d = 0.509, 95% CI= -0.36–0.427; Pedometer d = 0.918, 95% CI= 1.467–2.464), while one study found small positive effects on energy expenditure (SenseWear d = 0.446).

Conclusion. This study supports the use of mobile applications to bring a significant increase in physical activity levels in adults with obesity. Further studies evaluating telehealth with video conferences and hybrid formats are needed.