TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of technology-based interventions on dietary intake or anthropometrics among adolescents and adults in South Asia
T2 - A systematic review of intervention studies
AU - Char, Arundhati
AU - Gaudel, Pramila
AU - Kulathinal, Sangita
AU - Kinnunen, Tarja I.
N1 - Funding Information:
The first author’s research was supported by the research mobility grant (No. 316552 ) awarded by the Academy of Finland , Finland. The funder had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, manuscript preparation and revision, or publication decisions.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Introduction: Mobile technology has been increasingly used as part of dietary interventions, but the effects of such interventions have not been systematically evaluated in the South Asian context. The systematic review aimed to determine the effects of technology-based interventions on dietary intake or anthropometrics among adolescents and adults in South Asia. Methods: Five electronic databases were searched (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Global Health Library and Health Technology Assessment). Studies published in English between 1st January 2011 and 31st December 2021were included. Interventions that evaluated the effects of dietary interventions using technology on dietary outcomes and anthropometrics in adolescents or adults in the age group of 13–44 years (or a broader age group) from South Asia were eligible for inclusion. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk-of-bias 2 tool and ROBINS-I tool. A narrative synthesis was conducted. Results: Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria (20,667 participants). Eleven of the 17 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) had a high overall risk of bias. The four non-randomised intervention studies had a serious or critical overall risk of bias. When including studies with low risk or some concern for bias, the interventions had a beneficial effect on at least one dietary outcome in four of the six RCTs that measured changes in diet, and no effect on the anthropometric outcomes in the six RCTs that measured changes in anthropometric outcomes. Discussion: Technology-based dietary interventions have had some positive effects on dietary intake, but no effects on anthropometry in South Asia. More evidence is needed as the overall risk of bias was high in a majority of the studies.
AB - Introduction: Mobile technology has been increasingly used as part of dietary interventions, but the effects of such interventions have not been systematically evaluated in the South Asian context. The systematic review aimed to determine the effects of technology-based interventions on dietary intake or anthropometrics among adolescents and adults in South Asia. Methods: Five electronic databases were searched (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Global Health Library and Health Technology Assessment). Studies published in English between 1st January 2011 and 31st December 2021were included. Interventions that evaluated the effects of dietary interventions using technology on dietary outcomes and anthropometrics in adolescents or adults in the age group of 13–44 years (or a broader age group) from South Asia were eligible for inclusion. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk-of-bias 2 tool and ROBINS-I tool. A narrative synthesis was conducted. Results: Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria (20,667 participants). Eleven of the 17 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) had a high overall risk of bias. The four non-randomised intervention studies had a serious or critical overall risk of bias. When including studies with low risk or some concern for bias, the interventions had a beneficial effect on at least one dietary outcome in four of the six RCTs that measured changes in diet, and no effect on the anthropometric outcomes in the six RCTs that measured changes in anthropometric outcomes. Discussion: Technology-based dietary interventions have had some positive effects on dietary intake, but no effects on anthropometry in South Asia. More evidence is needed as the overall risk of bias was high in a majority of the studies.
KW - South Asia, nutrition, anthropometry, mobile, technology
U2 - 10.1016/j.orcp.2022.06.001
DO - 10.1016/j.orcp.2022.06.001
M3 - Review Article
C2 - 35690586
AN - SCOPUS:85131816968
SN - 1871-403X
VL - 16
SP - 181
EP - 196
JO - OBESITY RESEARCH AND CLINICAL PRACTICE
JF - OBESITY RESEARCH AND CLINICAL PRACTICE
IS - 3
ER -