Integrated GPS-Enabled Physical Activity and Dietary Interventions Versus Physical Activity Alone for Obesity...

Area of Science:

• Obesity research
• Digital health interventions
• Geospatial technology applications

Background:

• Rising obesity rates necessitate scalable interventions.
• Global Positioning System (GPS)-enabled technologies offer promising avenues for promoting physical activity (PA).
• The comparative effectiveness of GPS-PA interventions with versus without dietary components for obesity management is not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically evaluate and compare the effectiveness of GPS-enabled PA interventions, with or without dietary strategies, on obesity-related outcomes in adults.
• To synthesize evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the impact of these interventions.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and meta-analysis adhering to PRISMA guidelines.
• Inclusion of RCTs published between January 2000 and April 2025, focusing on adult participants.
• Meta-analyses using random- or fixed-effects models, with subgroup analyses to identify effect modifiers.

Main Results:

• Nine studies with 1363 participants were analyzed.
• GPS-enabled PA interventions significantly reduced body weight (Hedges' g = -0.241) and body fat percentage (BFP) (Hedges' g = -0.412).
• Short-term interventions (≤3 months) showed greater weight reduction effects; adding dietary strategies did not consistently enhance outcomes compared to PA alone.

Conclusions:

• GPS-enabled PA interventions are effective for short-term reductions in body weight and BFP.
• The integration of dietary components into GPS-enabled PA interventions does not appear to consistently augment benefits over PA-only interventions.
• Geospatial technology is valuable for behavioral interventions, supporting scalable digital health strategies for public health goals.