The Impact of Lifestyle, Diet and Physical Activity on Epigenetic Changes in the Offspring—A Systematic Review

Aims: This systematic review examines the association between maternal lifestyle, diet and physical activity, and epigenetic changes in the offspring. Methods: A literature search was conducted using multiple science databases: PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library, on 10 March 2021. RCT and Cohort studies in English or Scandinavian languages were included. Exposure variables included diet, lifestyle, meal patterns or physical activity. Studies using dietary supplements as exposure variables were excluded. Outcome variables included were DNA methylation, microRNA or histone changes in placenta, cord blood or offspring. Two independent authors screened, read and extracted data from the included papers. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials (RoB2) and The Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) Cohort Study Checklist were used to assess risk of bias in the included studies. A qualitative approach was employed due to heterogeneity of exposures and results of the studies. Results: 16 studies and 3617 participants were included in the final analysis. The exposure variables included physical activity, carbohydrate, low glycemic index diet, added sugar, fat, Mediterranean diet and pro-inflammatory diet. The outcome variables identified were differences in DNA methylation and microRNA. Most studies described epigenetic changes in either placenta or cord blood. Genes reported to be methylated were GR, HSD2, IGF-2, PLAG1, MEG-3, H19 and RXRA. However, not all studies found epigenetic changes strong enough to pass multiple testing, and the study quality varied. Conclusion: Despite the variable quality of the included studies, the results in this review suggest that there may be an association between the mother’s lifestyle, diet and level of physical activity during pregnancy and epigenetic changes in the offspring.

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Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on University Students' Physical Activity Levels: An Early Systematic Review

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2020.624567 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Alejandro López-Valenciano ◽

David Suárez-Iglesias ◽

Miguel A. Sanchez-Lastra ◽

Carlos Ayán

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Systematic Review ◽

University Students ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Physical Activity Levels ◽

The Impact

Purpose: This systematic review aimed to analyze the impact that the COVID-19 lockdown had on the amount of physical activity performed by university students.Materials and Methods: A systematic electronic search for studies providing information regarding physical activity levels pre and during COVID-19 pandemic in university students was performed up to 20th October 2020 in the databases Cochrane Library, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science. The risk of bias of external validity quality of included studies was assessed by means of those the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). The quality of the evidence for main outcomes was graded using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.Results and Conclusions: A total of 10 studies were selected. Physical activity levels were assessed by means of questionnaires (10 studies) and accelerometer (1 study). Risk of bias was regarded as low and high in six and four investigations, respectively. The quality of evidence was downgraded to low. A significant reduction of physical activity levels were observed in 9 studies. Compared to pre-lockdown values, five studies showed a reduction of light/mild physical activity (walking) between 32.5 and 365.5%, while seven studies revealed a reduction of high/vigorous physical activity between 2.9 and 52.8%. Walking, moderate, vigorous, and total physical activity levels have been reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic confinements in university students of different countries. Despite of the reductions, those who met the current minimum PA recommendations before the lockdown generally met the recommendations also during the confinements.

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Epigenetic Studies in Psychotherapy: A Systematic Review

Current Psychiatry Research and Reviews ◽

10.2174/2666082216999200622140922 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 86-92

Author(s):

Rafael Penadés ◽

Bárbara Arias ◽

Mar Fatjó-Vilas ◽

Laura González-Vallespí ◽

Clemente García-Rizo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Dna Methylation ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Epigenetic Modifications ◽

Symptom Improvement ◽

Epigenetic Changes ◽

Main Hypothesis ◽

Psychological Treatments ◽

Time Period ◽

The Impact

Background: Epigenetic modifications appear to be dynamic and they might be affected by environmental factors. The possibility of influencing these processes through psychotherapy has been suggested. Objective: To analyse the impact of psychotherapy on epigenetics when applied to mental disorders. The main hypothesis is that psychological treatments will produce epigenetic modifications related to the improvement of treated symptoms. Methods: A computerised and systematic search was completed throughout the time period from 1990 to 2019 on the PubMed, ScienceDirect and Scopus databases. Results: In total, 11 studies were selected. The studies were evaluated for the theoretical framework, genes involved, type of psychotherapy and clinical challenges and perspectives. All studies showed detectable changes at the epigenetic level, like DNA methylation changes, associated with symptom improvement after psychotherapy. Conclusion: Methylation profiles could be moderating treatment effects of psychotherapy. Beyond the detected epigenetic changes after psychotherapy, the epigenetic status before the implementation could act as an effective predictor of response.

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Systematic review of acute physically active learning and classroom movement breaks on children’s physical activity, cognition, academic performance and classroom behaviour: understanding critical design features

BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine ◽

10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000341 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. e000341 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

Andy J Daly-Smith ◽

Stephen Zwolinsky ◽

Jim McKenna ◽

Phillip D Tomporowski ◽

Margaret Anne Defeyter ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Academic Performance ◽

Active Learning ◽

Good Practice ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Physically Active ◽

Classroom Behaviour ◽

The Impact

ObjectiveTo examine the impact of acute classroom movement break (CMB) and physically active learning (PAL) interventions on physical activity (PA), cognition, academic performance and classroom behaviour.DesignSystematic review.Data sourcesPubMed, EBSCO, Academic Search Complete, Education Resources Information Center, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, SCOPUS and Web of Science.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesStudies investigating school-based acute bouts of CMB or PAL on (PA), cognition, academic performance and classroom behaviour. The Downs and Black checklist assessed risk of bias.ResultsTen PAL and eight CMB studies were identified from 2929 potentially relevant articles. Risk of bias scores ranged from 33% to 64.3%. Variation in study designs drove specific, but differing, outcomes. Three studies assessed PA using objective measures. Interventions replaced sedentary time with either light PA or moderate-to-vigorous PA dependent on design characteristics (mode, duration and intensity). Only one study factored individual PA outcomes into analyses. Classroom behaviour improved after longer moderate-to-vigorous (>10 min), or shorter more intense (5 min), CMB/PAL bouts (9 out of 11 interventions). There was no support for enhanced cognition or academic performance due to limited repeated studies.ConclusionLow-to-medium quality designs predominate in investigations of the acute impacts of CMB and PAL on PA, cognition, academic performance and classroom behaviour. Variable quality in experimental designs, outcome measures and intervention characteristics impact outcomes making conclusions problematic. CMB and PAL increased PA and enhanced time on task. To improve confidence in study outcomes, future investigations should combine examples of good practice observed in current studies.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42017070981.

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Effect of dose administration aids on adherence to self-administered medications: a systematic review protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030536 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (10) ◽

pp. e030536

Author(s):

Kanika Chaudhri ◽

Madeleine Kearney ◽

Richard O Day ◽

Anthony Rodgers ◽

Emily Atkins

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Study Participant ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Dose Administration ◽

Common Solution ◽

The Impact

IntroductionForgetting to take a medication is the most common reason for non-adherence to self-administered medication. Dose administration aids (DAAs) are a simple and common solution to improve unintentional non-adherence for oral tablets. DAAs can be in the form of compartmentalised pill boxes, automated medication dispensing devices, blister packs and sachets packets. This protocol aims to outline the methods that will be used in a systematic review of the current literature to assess the impact of DAAs on adherence to medications and health outcomes.Methods and analysisRandomised controlled trials will be identified through electronic searches in databases including EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library, from the beginning of each database until January 2020. Two reviewers will independently screen studies and extract data using the standardised forms. Data extracted will include general study information, characteristics of the study, participant characteristics, intervention characteristics and outcomes. Primary outcome is to assess the effects of DAAs on medication adherence. Secondary outcome is to evaluate the changes in health outcomes. The risk of bias will be ascertained by two reviewers in parallel using The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. A meta-analysis will be performed if data are homogenous.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval will not be required for this study. The results of the review described within this protocol will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and relevant conference presentations.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42018096087

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Mobile health interventions to promote physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour in the workplace: A systematic review

Digital Health ◽

10.1177/2055207619839883 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. 205520761983988 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Sarah Ann Buckingham ◽

Andrew James Williams ◽

Karyn Morrissey ◽

Lisa Price ◽

John Harrison

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Sedentary Behaviour ◽

Mobile Health ◽

Technology Use ◽

Methodological Quality ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Behaviour Change Techniques ◽

The Impact

Objective This systematic review aimed to assess the effectiveness, feasibility and acceptability of mobile health (mHealth) technology (including wearable activity monitors and smartphone applications) for promoting physical activity (PA) and reducing sedentary behaviour (SB) in workplace settings. Methods Systematic searches were conducted in seven electronic databases (MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science and the Cochrane library). Studies were included if mHealth was a major intervention component, PA/SB was a primary outcome, and participants were recruited and/or the intervention was delivered in the workplace. Study quality was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) tool. Interventions were coded for behaviour change techniques (BCTs) using the Coventry, Aberdeen and London – Refined (CALO-RE) taxonomy. Results Twenty-five experimental and quasi-experimental studies were included. Studies were highly heterogeneous and only one was rated as ‘strong’ methodological quality. Common BCTs included self-monitoring, feedback, goal-setting and social comparison. A total of 14/25 (56%) studies reported a significant increase in PA, and 4/10 (40%) reported a significant reduction in sedentary time; 11/16 (69%) studies reported a significant impact on secondary outcomes including reductions in weight, systolic blood pressure and total cholesterol. While overall acceptability was high, a large decline in technology use and engagement was observed over time. Conclusions While methodological quality was generally weak, there is reasonable evidence for mHealth in a workplace context as a feasible, acceptable and effective tool to promote PA. The impact in the longer term and on SB is less clear. Higher quality, mixed methods studies are needed to explore the reasons for decline in engagement with time and the longer-term potential of mHealth in workplace interventions. Protocol registration: The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO: CRD42017058856

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The relationship between pregnancy intentions and diet or physical activity behaviours in the preconception and antenatal periods: A systematic review and meta-analysis

10.31219/osf.io/xs58y ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Isaac Nkrumah ◽

Madelon North ◽

Emily Jane Kothe ◽

Tze Lin Chai ◽

Stephanie Pirotta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Pregnancy Intention ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Folate Intake ◽

Caffeine Intake ◽

Pregnancy Intentions ◽

Diet And Physical Activity ◽

Meta Analyses

Introduction: Healthy preconception and antenatal diet and physical activity behaviours are crucial to prevent adverse maternal and offspring outcomes. These behaviours are thought to be linked to pregnancy intentions. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the association between women’s pregnancy intentions and diet or physical activity behaviours in the preconception and antenatal periods. Methods: Medline Complete, PsycINFO, CINAHL Complete, Global Health, Embase, and INFORMIT: Health Subset were searched in September 2018 for studies that evaluated relationships between pregnancy intentions and dietary and physical activity behaviours. Risk of bias was assessed and random effects meta-analyses were conducted for dietary (food groups; energy and macronutrients; diet quality; and caffeine, iodine and folate intake) and physical activity outcomes.Results: Of 2623 screened records, 19 eligible studies were identified. Overall risk of bias was moderate to high. Twelve studies measured diet/physical activity behaviours during preconception, 5 during pregnancy, and 2 across both periods. Eleven studies measured pregnancy intention retrospectively, and 8 prospectively measured pregnancy intention. The number of studies available for meta-analyses of individual dietary and physical activity outcomes ranged from 2 to 5. Pregnancy intentions were not associated with preconception fruit, vegetable, or caffeine intake or physical activity. Antenatally, women with intended pregnancies were more likely to report healthier diets, lower caffeine intake and higher physical activity. Insufficient studies were available to conduct subgroup comparisons for prospective/retrospective assessment.Discussion: Pregnancy intentions were not associated with preconception diet or physical activity behaviours. In contrast, antenatally, women with intended pregnancies demonstrated better diet and physical activity behaviours. Given the small number of studies available for meta-analyses, further research is needed to consolidate our findings. Meanwhile, health professionals can assess women’s pregnancy intentions during preconception and pregnancy and encourage a healthy lifestyle.PROSPERO registration number CRD42018107854.

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416 A NARRATIVE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF POSTOPERATIVE REHABILITATION FOLLOWING SURGERY FOR ESOPHAGEAL CANCER

Diseases of the Esophagus ◽

10.1093/dote/doaa087.105 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 33 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

P Prasad ◽

K Hardy ◽

J Chmelo ◽

M Navidi ◽

A Phillips

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Randomised Trial ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Moderate Intensity ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

The Impact

Abstract Esophagectomy is a complex procedure with associated high levels of morbidity. Rehabilitation programmes are being developed and increasingly utilised in the perioperative period and comprise a variety of physical, nutritional and psychological interventions. Such strategies may help reduce the incidence of postoperative complications, mitigate sarcopenia, prevent progressive frailty and restore quality of life. This systematic review aimed to identify and analyse studies reporting outcomes of post-esophagectomy rehabilitative interventions. Methods Major reference databases (PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Google scholar) were interrogated and a systematic search with a pre-defined search strategy was performed up until January 2020. All eligible articles were screened in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Study quality was assessed using the MINORS (Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies) criteria for cohort studies and the Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomised studies. Results Three studies (n = 1 pilot study; n = 1 feasibility study and n = 1 randomised controlled trial) including some 108 patients were included in this narrative review, of whom 64 patients had undergone esophagectomy. Rehabilitative strategies utilised included a combination of physical activities such as walking and low- to moderate-intensity exercises, dietary counselling, psychological support and occupational therapy input. There was wide variation in the outcomes assessed between studies. Postoperative physical activity with exercises consistently demonstrated maximum positive impact upon cardiopulmonary fitness. The median MINORS score for included studies was 9 (8-10) and the risk of bias in the included randomised trial was low. Conclusion There is a paucity of data currently to help determine the impact that rehabilitation may have on clinical outcomes and quality of life following esophagectomy. While improved physical function has been demonstrated, there is a need to determine which interventions patients deem most important and acceptable to help them return to as close to baseline as possible. Additionally, there is a need to further understand the impact rehabilitation may have upon long-term outcomes.

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Obesity paradox in subarachnoid hemorrhage: a systematic review

Neurosurgical Review ◽

10.1007/s10143-019-01182-5 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 43 (6) ◽

pp. 1555-1563

Author(s):

Ilari Rautalin ◽

Jaakko Kaprio ◽

Miikka Korja

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ◽

Obesity Paradox ◽

Research Field ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Bias Estimation ◽

Obese People ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

The Impact

AbstractAs the number of obese people is globally increasing, reports about the putative protective effect of obesity in life-threatening diseases, such as subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), are gaining more interest. This theory—the obesity paradox—is challenging to study, and the impact of obesity has remained unclear in survival of several critical illnesses, including SAH. Thus, we performed a systematic review to clarify the relation of obesity and SAH mortality. Our study protocol included systematic literature search in PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane library databases, whereas risk-of-bias estimation and quality of each selected study were evaluated by the Critical Appraisal Skills Program and Cochrane Collaboration guidelines. A directional power analysis was performed to estimate sufficient sample size for significant results. From 176 reviewed studies, six fulfilled our eligibility criteria for qualitative analysis. One study found paradoxical effect (odds ratio, OR = 0.83 (0.74–0.92)) between morbid obesity (body mass index (BMI) > 40) and in-hospital SAH mortality, and another study found the effect between continuously increasing BMI and both short-term (OR = 0.90 (0.82–0.99)) and long-term SAH mortalities (OR = 0.92 (0.85–0.98)). However, according to our quality assessment, methodological shortcomings expose all reviewed studies to a high-risk-of-bias. Even though two studies suggest that obesity may protect SAH patients from death in the acute phase, all reviewed studies suffered from methodological shortcomings that have been typical in the research field of obesity paradox. Therefore, no definite conclusions could be drawn.

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Patient education for preventing recurrence of venous leg ulcers: a systematic review

Journal of Wound Care ◽

10.12968/jowc.2020.29.2.79 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 79-91 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Emer Shanley ◽

Zena Moore ◽

Declan Patton ◽

Tom O’Connor ◽

Linda Nugent ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Patient Education ◽

Small Sample ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Cochrane Central Register ◽

Leg Ulcers ◽

Venous Leg Ulcers ◽

The Impact

Objective: To investigate the impact of patient education interventions on preventing the recurrence of venous leg ulcers (VLU). Method: A systematic review was undertaken using the following databases: Cochrane Wounds Specialised Register; the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; The Cochrane Library); Ovid; Ovid (In-process and Other Non-Indexed Citations); Ovid Embase and EBSCO CINAHL. Trial registries and reference lists of relevant publications for published and ongoing trials were also searched. There were no language or publication date restrictions. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and cluster RCTs of patient educational interventions for preventing VLU recurrence were included. Review authors working independently assessed trials for their appropriateness for inclusion and for their risk of bias, using pre-determined inclusion and quality criteria. Results: A total of four studies met the inclusion criteria (274 participants). Each trial explored different interventions as follows: the Lively legs programme; education delivered via a video compared with education delivered via a pamphlet; the Leg Ulcer Prevention Programme and the Lindsay Leg Club. Only one study reported the primary outcome of incidence of VLU recurrence. All studies reported at least one of the secondary outcomes: patient behaviours, patient knowledge and patient quality of life (QoL). It is uncertain whether patient education programmes make any difference to VLU recurrence at 18 months (risk ratio [RR]: 0.82; 95% confidence interval: [CI] 0.59 to 1.14) or to patient behaviours (walked at least 10 minutes/five days a week RR: 1.48; 95%CI: 0.99 to 2.21; walked at least 30 minutes/five days a week: RR 1.14; 95%CI: 0.66 to 1.98; performed leg exercises: RR: 1.47; 95%CI: 1.04 to 2.09); to knowledge scores (MD (mean difference) 5.12, 95% CI –1.54 to 11.78); or to QoL (MD: 0.85, 95% CI –0.13 to 1.83), as the certainty of evidence has been assessed as very low. It is also uncertain whether different types of education delivery make any difference to knowledge scores (MD: 12.40; 95%CI: –5.68 to 30.48). Overall, GRADE assessments of the evidence resulted predominantly in judgments of very low certainty. The studies were at high risk of bias and outcome measures were imprecise due to wide CIs and small sample sizes. Conclusion: It is uncertain whether education makes any difference to the prevention of VLU recurrence. Therefore, further well-designed trials, addressing important clinical, QoL and economic outcomes are justified, based on the incidence of the problem and the high costs associated with VLU management.

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Effectiveness of adult community-based physical activity interventions with objective physical activity measurements and long-term follow-up: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-034541 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. e034541

Author(s):

Charlotte Wahlich ◽

Umar A R Chaudhry ◽

Rebecca Fortescue ◽

Derek G Cook ◽

Shashivadan Hirani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Community Based ◽

Intervention Effects ◽

Meta Analyses

ObjectiveTo identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of physical activity (PA) interventions with objective PA outcomes in adults and to evaluate whether intervention effects were sustained beyond 12 months.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesSeven databases (Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Cochrane library, CINAHL (Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature) and ASSIA (Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts)) were searched from January 2000 until December 2019.Eligibility criteriaRCTs reporting objective PA outcomes beyond 12 months with community-based participants aged ≥18 years were included; those where controls received active interventions, including advice to increase PA levels, were excluded.Data extraction and synthesisTwo independent reviewers completed extraction of aggregate data and assessed risk of bias. Meta-analyses used random-effects models at different follow-up points. Primary outcomes were daily steps and weekly minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA).ResultsOf 33 282 records identified, nine studies (at generally low risk of bias) were included, five in meta-analyses with 12 months to 4 year follow-up. We observed 12 month increases for intervention vs control participants in steps/day (mean difference (MD)=554 (95% CIs: 384 to 724) p<0.0001, I2=0%; 2446 participants; four studies) and weekly MVPA minutes (MD=35 (95% CI: 27 to 43) p<0.0001, I2=0%; 2647 participants; four studies). Effects were sustained up to 4 years for steps/day (MD=494 (95% CI: 251 to 738) p<0.0001, I2=0%; 1944 participants; four studies) and weekly MVPA minutes (MD=25 (95% CI: 13 to 37) p<0.0001, I2=0%; 1458 participants; three studies).ConclusionsThere are few PA interventions with objective follow-up beyond 12 months, more studies are needed. However, this review provided evidence of PA intervention effects beyond 12 months and sustained up to 4 years for both steps/day and MVPA. These findings have important implications for potential long-term health benefits.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42017075753.

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