The effectiveness of e-health based exercise intervention programs: a systematic review

Abstract

This study conducted a comprehensive review of e-health based exercise intervention programs to assess their success in promoting physical exercise and related objectives. The KERIS (Korean Education and Research Information Service), KISS (Korean Studies Information Service System), and RISS (Regional Information Sharing Systems) databases were used in selecting relevant articles. Specific inclusion criteria were used to identify e-health based exercise intervention programs that measured pre- and post-outcomes of muscle strength, flexibility, balance, and the amount of physical activity, in both control and experimental groups. Fourteen studies were selected for this review, comprising exercise related health intervention programs that utilized virtual reality, Wii video games, and web-based and mobile applications. The review of the selected studies indicated that the experimental groups uniformly had higher muscle strength, flexibility, balance, amounts of physical activity, and lower pain and stress levels, when compared to the control groups. Mean duration of the e-health based exercise health intervention programs was 16 weeks, with an exercise frequency mean value of 3 times per week for 20 minutes. This study concluded that e-health based exercise intervention programs are successful and play an important role toward improving an individual’s health. Further development of such e-health based exercise intervention programs is warranted, with potential value across diverse health issues. Such programs are effective tools for promoting healthier behaviors.