The effect of social media interventions on physical activity and dietary behaviours in young people and adults: a systematic review

Abstract Background The objectives of this systematic review were to update the evidence base on social media interventions for physical activity and diet since 2014, analyse the characteristics of interventions that resulted in changes to physical activity and diet-related behaviours, and assess differences in outcomes across different population groups. Methods A systematic search of the literature was conducted across 5 databases (Medline, Embase, EBSCO Education, Wiley and Scopus) using key words related to social media, physical activity, diet, and age. The inclusion criteria were: participants age 13+ years in the general population; an intervention that used commercial social media platform(s); outcomes related to changes to diet/eating or physical activity behaviours; and quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods studies. Quality appraisal tools that aligned with the study designs were used. A mixed methods approach was used to analyse and synthesise all evidence. Results Eighteen studies were included: randomised control trials (n = 4), non-controlled trials (n = 3), mixed methods studies (n = 3), non-randomised controlled trials (n = 5) and cross-sectional studies (n = 3). The target population of most studies was young female adults (aged 18–35) attending college/university. The interventions reported on positive changes to physical activity and diet-related behaviours through increases in physical activity levels and modifications to food intake, body composition and/or body weight. The use of Facebook, Facebook groups and the accessibility of information and interaction were the main characteristics of social media interventions. Studies also reported on Instagram, Reddit, WeChat and Twitter and the use of photo sharing and editing, groups and sub-groups and gamification. Conclusions Social media interventions can positively change physical activity and diet-related behaviours, via increases in physical activity levels, healthy modifications to food intake, and beneficial changes to body composition or body weight. New evidence is provided on the contemporary uses of social media (e.g. gamification, multi-model application, image sharing/editing, group chats) that can be used by policy makers, professionals, organisations and/or researchers to inform the design of future social media interventions. This study had some limitations that mainly relate to variation in study design, over-reliance of self-reported measures and sample characteristics, that prevented comparative analysis. Registration number: PROPSERO;CRD42020210806.

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Social Media Interventions Targeting Exercise and Diet Behaviours in People with Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs): A Systematic Review (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.34289 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Grace McKeon ◽

Emelia Papadopoulos ◽

Joseph Firth ◽

Rohina Joshi ◽

Scott Teasdale ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Social Media ◽

Randomised Controlled Trials ◽

Noncommunicable Diseases ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Randomised Controlled ◽

Study Designs ◽

Media Interventions

BACKGROUND Background: Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death globally. Promoting physical activity and healthy eating is essential to help manage the NCD burden and reduce mortality. Social media may be a potential platform for delivering and scaling health promotion initiatives. OBJECTIVE Objective: In this systematic review, we aimed to examine i) the feasibility and acceptability of social media interventions targeting physical activity and/or diet for people with NCDs, ii) the effectiveness of these interventions on exercise and diet behaviours, iii) specific design components used to promote user engagement and iv) the effectiveness on other health outcomes. METHODS Methods: We searched MEDLINE, Google Scholar, CINAHL, EMBASE, and SPORTDiscus from inception until June 2021. Social media interventions targeting physical activity and/or diet were included. Participants were any age, with a diagnosis of one of the following categories of NCDs; cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes or mental illness. Interventions using social media alone or as part of an intervention with other modes of delivery were included. Eligible study designs were randomised controlled trials (RCTs), non-randomised controlled trials, feasibility or pilot studies, or quasi-experimental studies. RESULTS Results: A total of 2,358 publications were identified. After removal of duplicates, 2,233 publication titles and abstracts were screened, and 10 publications were eligible, describing 8 individual studies. The study designs included n=5 RCTs and n=3 pilot or feasibility studies, all published between 2016 and 2020. Sample sizes ranged from n=11 to n=312. Half of the studies were conducted in the United States of America. Clinical populations included severe mental illness (n=2), cardiovascular disease (n=2), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n=2), cancer (n=1) and Type 2 diabetes (n=1). Facebook (n=3) and WeChat (n=3) were the most used social media platforms. The majority utilised social media to deliver health education and facilitate social support and all studies reported >70% retention. Four of the five included RCTS reported significant improvements in exercise behaviours (e.g., step count, exercise capacity) while diet was only assessed in two studies and results were non-significant. Of the 6 included RCTs (including 1 pilot RCT), study quality ranged from fair to good according to the PEDRo quality checklist. CONCLUSIONS Conclusions: Social media interventions appear to be feasible and acceptable among specific ND populations and preliminary evidence suggests interventions delivered solely via social media or in addition to other modalities may be effective for improving exercise behaviours. The evidence for diet behaviours remains unclear. While overall there is an emerging evidence base, more rigorous evaluation including replication studies are needed to determine the efficacy of social media interventions. CLINICALTRIAL CRD42021251838

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Active school transport, physical activity levels and body weight of children and youth: A systematic review

Preventive Medicine ◽

10.1016/j.ypmed.2008.10.017 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 48 (1) ◽

pp. 3-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 309

Author(s):

Guy E.J. Faulkner ◽

Ron N. Buliung ◽

Parminder K. Flora ◽

Caroline Fusco

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Body Weight ◽

Children And Youth ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Physical Activity Levels

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Exercise training alone or with the addition of activity counseling improves physical activity levels in COPD: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽

10.2147/copd.s121263 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol Volume 11 ◽

pp. 3121-3136 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

Aroub Lahham ◽

Christine F McDonald ◽

Anne E Holland

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Exercise Training ◽

Randomized Controlled Trials ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Activity Counseling ◽

Physical Activity Levels

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Global Accelerometer-Derived Physical Activity Levels from Preschoolers to Adolescents: A Systematic Review, Subgroup Analysis, and Meta-Analysis

SSRN Electronic Journal ◽

10.2139/ssrn.3730015 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Han Chen ◽

Jiling Liu ◽

Yang Bai

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Subgroup Analysis ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Physical Activity Levels

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Changes in nutritional status, body composition, quality of life, and physical activity levels of cancer patients undergoing autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation

Supportive Care in Cancer ◽

10.1007/s00520-012-1698-y ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 21 (6) ◽

pp. 1579-1586 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Yun-Chi Hung ◽

Judith Bauer ◽

Pamela Horsley ◽

Mary Waterhouse ◽

John Bashford ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Body Composition ◽

Stem Cell ◽

Stem Cell Transplantation ◽

Peripheral Blood Stem Cell ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Physical Activity Levels ◽

Blood Stem Cell Transplantation

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Cancer-Related Fatigue and Muscle Quality in Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Survivors

Integrative Cancer Therapies ◽

10.1177/1534735417712009 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 299-305 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Filipe Dinato de Lima ◽

Martim Bottaro ◽

Ritielli de Oliveira Valeriano ◽

Lorena Cruz ◽

Claudio L. Battaglini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Body Composition ◽

Hodgkin’S Lymphoma ◽

Muscle Thickness ◽

Peak Torque ◽

Hodgkin's Lymphoma ◽

Muscle Quality ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Physical Activity Levels ◽

Lymphoma Survivors

The purpose of this study was to compare fatigue, strength, body composition, muscle thickness, and muscle quality between Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivors (HLS) and apparently healthy subjects matched by age, gender, and physical activity levels (CON). Twelve HLS (32.16 ± 8.06) and 36 CON (32.42 ± 7.64) were enrolled in the study. Fatigue was assessed using the 20-item Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, muscle strength using an isokinetic dynamometer, body composition using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and thickness and muscle quality using B-mode ultrasound. Differences between HLS and CON were analyzed using independent samples t tests. No significant differences were observed between groups for any demographic characteristics: age ( P = .922), weight ( P = .943), height ( P = .511), body mass index ( P = .796), fat mass ( P = .688), fat-free mass ( P = .520), and percent body fat ( P = .446). No significant differences were observed for strength (peak torque; P = .552), relative peak torque ( P = .200), muscle thickness ( P > .05) and muscle quality ( P > .05). However, self-perceived fatigue was significantly higher in HLS than in CON ( P = .009). It appears that when HLS are matched by age and physical activity levels to CON, no significant difference in body composition, muscle thickness, muscle quality, or strength is observed. Self-perceived fatigue, as predicted, is higher in HLS, which may have implications and should be considered when prescribing exercise training to this cancer population.

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Walking Cadence to Exercise at Moderate Intensity for Adults: A Systematic Review

Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1155/2017/4641203 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

J. Slaght ◽

M. Sénéchal ◽

T. J. Hrubeniuk ◽

A. Mayo ◽

D. R. Bouchard

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Older Adults ◽

Leisure Activity ◽

Moderate Intensity ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Physical Activity Guidelines ◽

Aerobic Activity ◽

Physical Activity Levels

Background. Most adults choose walking as a leisure activity. However, many do not reach the international physical activity guidelines for adults, which recommend moderate intensity aerobic activity for at least 150 minutes/week in bouts of 10 minutes. Purpose. This systematic review provides an update on the walking cadence required to reach moderate intensity in adults and older adults, identifies variables associated with reaching moderate intensity, and evaluates how walking cadence intensity should be measured, but the main purpose is to report the interventions that have been attempted to prescribe walking cadence to increase time spent at moderate intensity or other outcomes for adults and older adults. Methods. SportDISCUS, Scopus, and PubMed databases were searched. We identified 3,917 articles and 31 were retained for this systematic review. Only articles written in English were included. Results. In general, 100 steps/minute is prescribed for adults to achieve moderate intensity, but older adults may require a higher cadence. Currently, few studies have explored using walking cadence prescription as an intervention to increase physical activity levels. Conclusion. Prescribing walking cadence as a way to increase physical activity levels has potential as a practical and useful strategy, but more evidence is required to assess its ability to increase physical activity levels at moderate intensity.

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