Abstract
BackgroundThe rapid pace of modern life requires working-age women to juggle occupational, family, and social demands. Despite the large numbers of working-age women in developed countries and the proven benefits of regular moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity (MVPA) in chronic disease prevention, few women meet current physical activity (PA) recommendations of 150 min of MVPA per week. It is important that appropriate and effective behavioral interventions targeting PA are identified and developed to improve the MVPA levels of working-age women. As women worldwide embrace modern technologies, e-health innovations may provide opportune and convenient methods of implementing programs and strategies to target PA in an effort to improve MVPA levels and cardiometabolic health. Previous reviews on this topic have been limited; none have focused on working-age women from developed countries who exhibit inappropriately low PA levels. It remains unknown as to which e-health interventions are most effective at increasing MVPA levels in this population. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine the effectiveness of e-health interventions in raising MVPA levels among working-age women in developed countries and to examine the effectiveness of these interventions in improving the health of women.MethodsEight electronic databases will be searched to identify all prospective cohort and experimental studies examining the impact of e-health interventions for increasing MVPA levels among working-age women (mean age 18–65 years) in developed countries. Gray literature including theses, dissertations, and government reports will also be examined. Study quality will be assessed using a modified Downs and Black checklist, and risk of bias will be assessed within and across all included studies using the Cochrane’s risk of bias tool and Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. A quantitative synthesis in the form of meta-analyses for measures of MVPA and health outcomes will be conducted where possible.DiscussionThis review will determine the effectiveness of e-health interventions in raising MVPA levels in working-age women in developed countries. It will form a contemporary, rigorously developed, and reliable research base for policy makers and stakeholders; and inform and influence the development and implementation of effective e-health interventions designed to increase MVPA levels and improve health outcomes in this population.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42014009534
Highlights
The rapid pace of modern life requires working-age women to juggle occupational, family, and social demands
World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations suggest that adults should accumulate at least 150 min of moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity (PA) (MVPA) each week [4]
Data from the recent Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) revealed that 28%–31% of working-age women were classified as overweight, and 24%–36% were classified as obese [7,8]
Summary
Study design A systematic review and meta-analysis will be undertaken to identify e-health interventions that have resulted in increased MVPA levels in working-age women in developed countries. Subgroup analyses Several subgroup analyses will be performed if sufficient data are available These analyses will examine differences between: age (e.g. 18–24 years vs 25–44 years vs 45–65 years); education (e.g. high school vs postsecondary vs graduate); number of children; marital status (married vs unmarried); working status (casual vs full-time vs part-time); country; income; self-reported and objectively measured MVPA; intervention focus (e.g. text messaging vs online web forums vs virtual care programs vs feedback from wearable PA devices vs mobile smart phone application vs telephone); intervention mode (e.g. wearables vs telemedicine vs mobile devices vs health informatics vs multi-component vs singlecomponent); study design (e.g. control vs no control group, randomized vs non-randomized controlled trial); and impact on known beneficial health sequelae of MVPA (e.g. weight vs BMI vs body composition vs waist circumference vs blood pressure vs lipid levels vs glucose concentrations vs quality of life vs mental health). Intervention focus and mode may be the most important as it remains unknown which e-health interventions are most effective at increasing MVPA levels in working-age women in developed countries
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