The effectiveness of online exercise on physical activity, motor function and mental health: A systematic review with meta-analysis (Preprint)

Résumé fourni par la source

BACKGROUND Regular engagement in exercise is associated with a multitude of physical and mental health benefits. In view of the technical progress, the ageing society and the recent public life restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the delivery of interventions using digital devices has become highly popular. This systematic review with meta-analysis examined the effects of online exercise programs on physical activity (PA), motor performance, and mental health. OBJECTIVE To examine the effects of online exercise programs on physical activity (PA), motor performance, and mental health. METHODS A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed, Cochrane and Google Scholar. Randomized, controlled trials assessing the effects of online exercise (OE) vs. no exercise (NEX) or face-to-face exercise (FFE) in healthy adults were included. Effect sizes (standardized mean difference/SMD) were pooled using robust variance estimation and the certainty about the evidence was rated by means of the GRADE criteria. RESULTS A total of 18 articles with moderate to high methodological quality (8/11 points on the PEDro scale) were identified. OE was superior to NEX regarding strength (SMD=0.61), balance (SMD=0.52), endurance (SMD=0.85), PA (SMD=0.46), depression (SMD=1.08), mood/emotion (SMD=0.47), mental wellbeing (SMD=0.79), and self-efficacy (SMD=1.1). Compared to FFE, OE was non-inferior for all tested outcomes. The certainty about the evidence was low to moderate. CONCLUSIONS OE represents an effective strategy to improve PA, physical function and mental health in healthy adults. However, in view of the partly limited certainty about the evidence, additional well-designed studies are warranted to further delineate the value of OE. CLINICALTRIAL PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022338871