Health wearable devices for weight and BMI reduction in individuals with overweight/obesity and chronic comorbidities: systematic review and network meta-analysis

Abstract

ObjectiveTo analyse the comparative effectiveness of different health wearable-based physical activity (PA) promotion intervention strategies against each other and control for reducing body weight and body mass index (BMI) in individuals with overweight/obesity and chronic comorbidities.DesignSystematic review and network meta-analysis (PROSPERO identifier: CRD42020158191).Data sourcesWe performed two independent searches from December 2019 to September 2020 in PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE and PsycINFO databases for articles published in English between 2007 and 2020.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesInclusion criteria were based on the PICOS framework. We included randomised controlled trials of health wearable-based interventions using two or more PA intervention arms/strategies and compared their effects on participants’ body weight (kg) and BMI (kg/m2) with a control group. Data were analysed using a Bayesian network meta-analysis to directly and indirectly compare the effects of the six different intervention strategies (comparators). The six comparators were: (1) control group (ie, usual care, waitlist); (2) comparison group (ie, traditional, non-health wearable PA interventions); (3) commercial health wearable-only intervention (eg, Fitbit, Polar M400); (4) research grade health wearable-only intervention (ie, accelerometers or pedometers); (5) multicomponent commercial health wearable intervention (eg, Fitbit + nutrition counselling); and (6) multicomponent research grade health wearable intervention. The results were reported as standardised mean differences (SMDs) with associated 95% credible intervals (CrIs).ResultsFrom 641 screened records, 31 studies were included. For body weight reduction in individuals with overweight/obesity and chronic comorbidities, accelerometer/pedometer-only (SMD −4.44, 95% CrI −8.94 to 0.07) and commercial health wearable-only (SMD −2.76, 95% CrI −4.80 to −0.81) intervention strategies were the most effective compared with the three other treatments and control. For BMI reduction, multicomponent accelerometer/pedometer (SMD −3.43, 95% CrI −4.94 to −2.09) and commercial health wearable-only (SMD −1.99, 95% CrI −4.95 to 0.96) intervention strategies were the most effective compared with the other four conditions.ConclusionHealth wearable devices are effective intervention tools/strategies for reducing body weight and BMI in individuals with overweight/obesity and chronic comorbidities.

The Effectiveness of Wearable Devices as Physical Activity Interventions for Preventing and Treating Obesity in Children and Adolescents: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…This is consistent with the results of other systematic reviews. Two previous reviews that examined the effectiveness of wearable devices as physical activity interventions for adults found that after using wearable devices, there were statistically significant improvements in obesity-related outcomes such as BMI and body weight [ 17 , 25 ]. These conclusions further confirmed the effect of physical activity on preventing and treating obesity.…”

Effects of a remote, YouTube-delivered exercise intervention on young adults’ physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic: Randomized controlled trial

“…We instructed participants to snugly and comfortably fit the accelerometers on the wrist of their non-dominant arm using the provided strap and to remove any other health wearable device(s) for the duration of the wear periods. 47 To allow for the collection of PA and sleep data, we asked participants to wear the accelerometer all day and night for a period of 7 days with the only exception being during activities of prolonged deep-water submersion (e.g., swimming). Data were sampled at a frequency of 30 Hz, and we turned the screens off to disable PA-related feedback and prevent performance bias.…”

Daily Physical Activity and Sleep Measured by Wearable Activity Trackers during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: A Lesson for Preventing Physical Inactivity during Future Pandemics

“…Wearable devices that can comfortably be worn on the body and perform several tasks in conjunction with handheld devices, such as smartphones, play a pivotal role in healthcare [6]. Recent systematic reviews have shown that wearable devices are useful for monitoring heart rate and sleep in hospital settings [7], increasing physical activity in children and adolescents [8], improving health-related outcomes in patients with cancer [9], and reducing body weight in individuals with obesity [10]. In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic, sleep pattern and duration were accurately and effectively monitored by wearable devices [11][12][13][14][15].…”