The effectiveness of digital health interventions on anthropometric and healthy behavior in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome: a systematic review with meta-analysis

TL;DR

Digital health interventions improve body measurements and healthy behaviors in women with PCOS, both short and medium term.

Contribution

This study provides a systematic review and meta-analysis on the effectiveness of digital health interventions for PCOS patients.

Findings

Digital health interventions significantly reduce BMI and waist circumference in the short term.

Improvements in health behaviors like physical activity and stress management are observed.

Benefits persist into the medium term with continued BMI reduction and reduced anxiety and depression.

Abstract

To investigate the effects of digital health interventions (DHIs) for improving anthropometric and healthy behavior in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

Five databases were searched from their inception to April 2025 with no date restrictions. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) and mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using random−effects models. The certainty of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach.

Ten trials with 930 participants were included. In short−term (≤3 months), DHIs yielded significant reductions in BMI (MD –1.19; –1.84 to –0.55; I²=0%), waist circumference (MD –2.14; –3.11 to –1.17; I²=0%) and large improvements in total HPLP−II score (SMD 1.61; 1.20 to 2.01; I²=0%), physical activity (SMD 1.43; 1.04 to 1.83; I²=0%), health responsibility (SMD 1.02; 0.64 to 1.39; I²=0%), interpersonal relationships (SMD 0.96; 0.59 to 1.33; I²=0%), spiritual growth (SMD 1.25; 0.87 to 1.64; I²=0%) and stress management (SMD 1.17; 0.79 to 1.55; I²=0%); there was no significant change in body weight (SMD –0.04; –0.23 to 0.15; I²=0%) or HPLP−II nutrition (SMD 0.83; –0.11 to 1.78; I²=84%). In medium−term (3–6 months), DHIs continued to reduce BMI (MD –2.46; –3.04 to –1.88; I²=22%) and waist circumference (MD –4.65; –6.70 to –2.60; I²=0%), and yielded significant improvements in depressive symptoms (SMD –0.85; –1.17 to –0.53; I²=17%) and anxiety (SMD –0.95; –1.33 to –0.56; I²=42%).

Digital health interventions confer significant short− and medium−term improvements in anthropometric and healthy behavior measures among women with PCOS.

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD420251030598.

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