Effects of electroacupuncture for obesity: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Obesity—a public health problem that negatively affects the quality of life—is associated with various diseases, and its prevalence is on the rise. Although drugs and surgical interventions are used to treat obesity, they have adverse effects and limitations. Electroacupuncture is a widely used method for treating obesity in which electrical stimulation is transmitted to the body through acupuncture needles. This systematic review and meta-analysis will evaluate the efficacy of electroacupuncture in treating obesity. METHODS: MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, 3 Korean databases (Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, ScienceON, and KoreaMed), 1 Japanese database (Citation Information by the National Institute of Informatics), and 1 Chinese database (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure) will be searched from their inception to December 2021. The primary outcome will be body mass index, and the secondary outcomes will be body weight, waist and hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, body fat percentage, body fat mass, and adverse effects. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: This systematic review and meta-analysis will provide evidence for efficacy of electroacupuncture as a treatment method for obesity. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/YU5XR (https://osf.io/yu5xr).