# Role of e-health in addressing sarcopenic obesity: a scoping review protocol

## TL;DR

This scoping review protocol explores how e-health can help manage sarcopenic obesity, a condition combining obesity and muscle loss, by mapping current evidence and identifying research gaps.

## Contribution

The study introduces a structured scoping review protocol to evaluate e-health applications for sarcopenic obesity, a novel focus in this field.

## Key findings

- E-health strategies for sarcopenic obesity remain under-researched and require further exploration.
- Barriers and facilitators to e-health implementation in this context will be identified.
- The review will inform clinical practice and policy through a comprehensive synthesis of evidence.

## Abstract

The global burden of malnutrition is compounded by the challenges of obesity and sarcopenia, a combination known as sarcopenic obesity. This condition, defined by increased fat mass alongside declining muscle mass and function, poses significant health risks, including metabolic dysregulation and cardiovascular complications. Despite its growing prevalence and clinical importance, significant gaps remain regarding the application of e-health strategies to address sarcopenic obesity. This scoping review aims to map the current evidence on the use of e-health in addressing sarcopenic obesity in adults with overweight or obesity, identify barriers and facilitators to its implementation, and highlight areas for future research.

The scoping review will be conducted in accordance with established methodological framework by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI), employing a comprehensive three-step search strategy across multiple databases and grey literature sources, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, CINAHL, Web of Science and Scopus. The inclusion criteria, framed by the Population-Concept-Context (PCC) framework, will focus on studies involving adults with sarcopenic obesity and interventions using e-health approaches in various healthcare contexts. A data extraction form will be used to guide the data extraction. Findings will be synthesised narratively and in tabular form, comprehensively mapping the current evidence and identifying key areas for future research.

Ethical approval is not required as the review analyses publicly available data. Findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at international conferences and scientific forums. The review will offer insights into e-health integration in sarcopenic obesity management, informing clinical practice, policy development and interdisciplinary collaboration.

This scoping review was registered with the Open Science Framework registry on 17 September 2024 (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/9ND5A).