Text message delivered interventions for weight loss in low- and middle-income countries
Citation: Alamnia TT, Tesfaye W, Kelly M. The effectiveness of text message delivered interventions for weight loss in developing countries: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Obesity Reviews. 2022;23(1):e13339.
Language: Abstract and full text available in EN.
Free to view: Yes.
Funding sources: Nothing noted.
What is this? Mobile health interventions are widely used to help weight management in high-income countries and can help health systems to be resilient. Evidence on their effectiveness in low- and middle-income countries might help policy makers and practitioners in those settings.
In this systematic review, the authors searched for comparative effectiveness studies done in low- and middle-income countries that evaluated the effects of text messages for weight management in adults who were overweight or obese. They restricted their searches to articles published in English and did the search in January 2021. They included 9 randomised trials and 3 quasi-experimental studies, from Brazil (1 study), China (3), India (4), Iran (1), Malaysia (1), Peru (1) and Thailand (1).
What works: On average, there is a slight effect of using text messages on weight loss measured as change in body mass index (BMI). More frequent, longer duration interventions, and the use of behavioural theories show better results.
What doesn’t work: Nothing noted.
What is uncertain: The effects on weight loss of specific types of text messaging are uncertain.
Implications: The authors of the review concluded that mobile text-based interventions should be considered by those developing interventions to prevent and control overweight and obesity in low- and middle-income countries. They also stated the need for studies targeting large representative sample sizes with longer follow-up.
Other considerations: The authors of the review discussed their findings in the context of place of residence, education and socioeconomic status.
This summary was prepared by Ana Pizarro, checked by Yasmeen Saeed and Cristián Mansilla, and finalized by Mike Clarke.