The Effect of Peer Support on Individuals with Overweight and Obesity: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND: Scarce data exists about the effect of peer support on individuals with overweight or obesity. This study aimed to conduct a meta-analysis regarding the effect of peer support on weight, BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, quality of life, social support and depressive symptoms in individuals with overweight and obesity. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL were searched for relevant studies from their inceptions to 1 Mar 2020, and 14 randomized controlled trials (RCTS) were included. Data were pooled with Review Manager 5.3. RESULTS: Significantly small improvement in weight (−0.78 kg) was found in individuals who received peer support than those who received usual care (MD= −0.78 kg, 95% CI−1.33 to −0.22, P=0.02). And peer support appeared to be associated with significant decrease in BMI levels (MD= −0.16 kg/m(2), 95% CI −0.32 to −0.01, P=0.04). However, there was no statistically significant improvement in the levels of waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, quality of life, social support and depressive symptoms after peer support. CONCLUSION: Peer support appears to be associated with decreased weight and BMI levels in individuals with overweight and obesity. However, additional research is warranted due to insufficient evidence for the effects of peer support on the other health indicators.