Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Interventions in Thailand: A Systematic Review

Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior contribute substantially to Thailand's noncommunicable disease burden. This systematic review identified and evaluated articles that reported interventions implemented in Thailand to promote physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior.

Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and registration in PROSPERO (CRD42024523843), 5 international databases, Google Scholar, and Thai-language sources were searched for 2014-2024. Eligible articles evaluated interventions conducted in Thailand reporting individual-level physical activity or sedentary behavior outcomes. Four reviewers independently screened records, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias using Risk of Bias in Nonrandomized Studies of Interventions-I. Interventions were categorized by component domain, and results were synthesized narratively by direction and statistical significance.

Of 17,604 records identified, 22 articles, comprising 7 randomized controlled trials and 15 nonrandomized designs, met the inclusion criteria. Interventions lasted 6 to 104 weeks (median = 12) and primarily targeted adults (68.2%). Among these, 21 articles assessed physical activity, and 9 assessed sedentary behavior. Educational components were most common (17 articles), followed by technology-assisted tools (12), exercise activities (9), and environmental strategies (6); all generally demonstrated improvements in physical activity or reductions in sedentary behavior, and multicomponent interventions integrating 2 or more elements (17 articles) showed favorable outcomes across both behaviors. Most were rated as having a moderate to serious risk of bias, while 7 were assessed as low risk.

Interventions in Thailand generally increased physical activity, while sedentary behavior was less frequently examined. Educational, technological, exercise, and environmental approaches improved awareness, self-monitoring, and opportunities for movement, but most interventions were short term and small scale.