Objective
To determine the effects of m-health on gestational weight gain and physical activity during pregnancy among pregnant women with overweight and obesity.
Methods
Six databases were searched: EMBASE, MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL EBSCOhost, COCHRANE Library, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar. The literature search was conducted from inception to early November 2024. The population of the study was pregnant women diagnosed as obese or overweight. The interventions involve mobile health (m-Health) strategies, including mobile or smartphone applications, text messaging, wearable devices, telehealth platforms, and various other digital communication methods. The study specifically reported gestational weight gain and physical activity, or one of the outcomes. Only randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were included. The study's quality was evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment. The effect was analyzed using the Review Manager 5 program with random effect and standard mean difference (SMD).
Results
Fourteen RCTs were included, involving 4371 participants. The current meta-analysis found that m-health had a small negative effect on gestational weight gain among pregnant women with overweight and obesity, with SMDs=-0.18, 95 % CI [-0.32, -0.04], I(2): 64 %. Particularly, m-health had no significant effects on physical activity, with: SMDs= 0.13, 95 % CI [-0.06, 0.31], I(2)= 74 %.
Conclusions
M-health apps are effective for weight control among pregnant women with overweight and obesity. However, it seems not to be significant on physical activity. It is crucial to make modifications to m-health interventions to address gaps in physical exercise programs during pregnancy.