The Effectiveness of Digital Health Lifestyle Interventions on Weight Loss in People With Prediabetes: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression

BACKGROUND: Digital health lifestyle interventions (DHLI) may offer scalable solutions to manage prediabetes in clinical practice; however, their effectiveness on people with prediabetes has not been systematically investigated and reviewed. Hence, in this systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression the effectiveness of DHLI on prediabetes-related outcomes was investigated.

METHODS: Four databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials investigating the effectiveness of DHLI on adults with prediabetes published before 23 February 2024. The primary outcome was the change in body weight, with secondary outcomes including, among others, glycemic status, body composition, and feasibility outcomes. Meta-analyses were conducted to provide overall effect estimates of outcomes. In addition, meta-regressions on the primary outcome were conducted. The study quality was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool, and the certainty of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.

RESULTS: A total of 33 studies were included (n = 14 398). The study duration ranged from 3 to 60 months. The digital interventions varied from in-person meetings combined with pedometers and telephone calls to fully digital interventions. The overall estimated treatment difference in change in body weight favored the intervention (mean difference: -1.74 kg; 95% confidence interval: -2.37, -1.11; P < .01) with moderate certainty. Statistically significant overall effect estimates favoring the intervention were also found for secondary outcomes with very low to moderate certainty.

CONCLUSION: Digital health lifestyle interventions can result in statistically significant change in body weight and other secondary outcomes among people with prediabetes.