Comparative effectiveness of school- and office-based technology-enhanced interventions for physical activity promotion: A systematic review and meta-analysis

TL;DR

This study compares the effectiveness of technology-based physical activity interventions in schools and offices, finding small benefits in schools but not in offices.

Contribution

The study provides the first comparative meta-analysis of technology-based physical activity interventions in school and office settings.

Findings

School-based interventions showed a small positive effect on physical activity.

Office-based interventions did not show significant effectiveness.

There is large heterogeneity in school-based technology interventions.

Abstract

School students and office workers can have higher levels of physical inactivity. Comparative effectiveness of interventions that use technology-based strategies to promote physical activity (PA) between these two populations is lacking. The purpose of this review was to compare effectiveness of technology-based interventions to promote PA in school and office settings.

A literature search was conducted from each database's inception with no place restriction using PubMed/MEDLINE (1946), Scopus (2004), Web of Science (1964), Embase (1974), and Cochrane Library (1995) through January 1st, 2025. Inclusion criteria included randomized controlled trials examining school-aged children/adolescents or adult office workers participating in a technology-based intervention to promote PA. Effectiveness was examined using random-effects meta-analyses.

Ten school-based and five office-based studies were examined. Two of 10 (20%) school-based studies and two of five (40%) office-based studies showed high risk of bias. There was a significant but small positive effect for school-based interventions to improve PA (Hedges' g = 0.35, 95%CI [0.02, 0.68]) but not for office-based interventions (Hedges' g = 0.07, 95%CI [−0.19, 0.33]).

School-based interventions using technology showed a small positive effect for improving PA. More novel, undisruptive, and effective strategies using technology should be derived and rigorously tested in school and office settings.

•School interventions using technologies are effective to promote physical activity.•There is large heterogeneity in school interventions using technology.•Office-based studies using technology does not show effectiveness.•There are limited quality physical activity interventions using technology.•More physical activity interventions using technology need testing.

School interventions using technologies are effective to promote physical activity.

There is large heterogeneity in school interventions using technology.

Office-based studies using technology does not show effectiveness.

There are limited quality physical activity interventions using technology.

More physical activity interventions using technology need testing.

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