Outcomes Following eHealth Weight Management Interventions in Adults With Overweight and Obesity From Low Socioeconomic Groups: Protocol for a Systematic Review

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 programs. It is possible that eHealth interventions may be more successful in reaching people from low SES groups than 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) will be undertaken to identify eligible studies published in English up until May 2021. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (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 predefined criteria. Studies that have investigated an eHealth weight management intervention within a low SES population will be included. Primary outcomes include weight, BMI, and percentage 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 remained for title and abstract review. CONCLUSIONS: The use of eHealth in weight management programs has increased significantly in recent years and will continue to do so; however, it is uncertain if eHealth weight management programs are effective in a low SES population. The results of this systematic review will therefore provide a summary of the evidence for interventions using eHealth for people living with overweight and obesity and from a low SES background. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42021243973; https://tinyurl.com/2p8fxtnw INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/34546