A meta‐analysis of overall effects of weight loss interventions delivered via mobile phones and effect size differences according to delivery mode, personal contact, and intervention intensity and duration
Open accessAbstract
Summary: Weight loss interventions are delivered through various mediums including, increasingly, mobile phones. This systematic review and meta‐analysis assesses whether interventions delivered via mobile phones reduce body weight and which intervention characteristics are associated with efficacy. The study included randomised controlled trials assessing the efficacy of weight loss interventions delivered via mobile phones. A meta‐analysis to test intervention efficacy was performed, and subgroup analyses were conducted to determine whether interventions' delivery mode(s), inclusion of personal contact, duration and interaction frequency improve efficacy. Pooled body weight reduction (d = −0.23; 95% confidence interval = −0.38, −0.08) was significant. Interventions delivered via other modes in addition to the mobile phone were associated with weight reduction. Personal contact and more frequent interactions in interventions were also associated with greater weight reduction. In conclusion, the current body of evidence shows that interventions delivered via mobile phones produce a modest reduction in body weight when combined with other delivery modes. Delivering interventions with frequent and personal interactions may in particular benefit weight loss results.
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The meta-analysis by Schippers et al reported that mobile apps with personal interaction tools (messages, calls, email, or in-person meetings) are more effective for weight loss than automated interaction.
“The meta-analysis by Schippers et al [90] reported that mobile apps with personal interaction tools (messages, calls, email, or in-person meetings) are more effective for weight loss than automated interaction.”
From Digital Health Interventions to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Systematic Review (2025) · cites this paper as [90]
In “Stratification by personal contact” (page not available), the meta-analysis reports significantly greater weight-loss effects for mobile-phone interventions with personal contact than for those without it. “Characteristics of included studies” identifies non-automated messages, emails, calls and face-to-face contact as examples. The paper does not specifically compare mobile apps with personal interaction tools against apps with automated interaction; its comparison is broader—mobile-phone interventions with versus without personal contact. (LLM, conf=0.85)
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- Authors
- Schippers, M., Adam, P. C. G., Smolenski, D. J., Wong, H. T. H., & de Wit, J. B. F.
- Affiliations
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- National Center for Telehealth & Technology Tacoma WA USA
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Australia Sydney Australia
- Corresponding author
- Schippers, M.
- ORCID
- Smolenski, D. J.
- Venue
- Obesity Reviews
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2017-02-10
- Volume
- 18
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 450-459
- ISSN
- 1467-7881 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-789X
- OpenAlex
- W2586413427
- Cited by
- 150
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 4
- FWCI
- 2.84
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Obesity Reviews (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Mobile Health and mHealth Applications
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Mobile Learning in Education
- Keywords
- weight loss interventions, weight loss, intervention delivery mode, personal contact, interaction frequency, intervention intensity, intervention duration, obesity treatment, mobile health
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Obesity, Primary Prevention, Time Factors, Weight Loss, Health Behavior, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Cell Phone, Text Messaging, Mobile Applications
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