Digital Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Interventions for Community-Living Adults: Umbrella Review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Digital Health Interventions
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Digital interventions offer significant potential for enhancing physical activity (PA) and reducing sedentary behavior (SB) in adults.
• Existing research reveals gaps in optimal delivery strategies, theoretical frameworks, and behavior change techniques.
• Umbrella reviews are valuable for synthesizing evidence from numerous systematic reviews.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct an umbrella review of digital interventions for PA and SB in community-living adults.
• To explore the effectiveness, key components, and methodological quality of these interventions.

Main Methods:

• Followed the Joanna Briggs Institute framework for umbrella reviews.
• Searched seven databases and gray literature for relevant systematic reviews.
• Appraised study quality using AMSTAR 2 and assessed primary study overlap using corrected covered area.

Main Results:

• Five systematic reviews met inclusion criteria, with meta-analyses indicating improved PA outcomes.
• Findings for PA and SB were mixed across reviews, with monitor/sensor-based delivery most common.
• Eleven theoretical frameworks were identified, social cognitive theory being most prominent; 28 behavior change techniques were used.
• All included systematic reviews were of low or critically low quality, with no overlap in primary studies.

Conclusions:

• Digital interventions can increase PA and reduce SB in community-living adults.
• Lack of consensus on outcomes and components, coupled with poor review quality, hinders real-world translation.
• Standardizing outcomes and improving systematic review reporting are crucial for future research and impact, especially for overlooked populations.