Systematic review and network meta-analysis of interventions for adults with simple obesity: Study protocol
4 affiliations
- 1Centre for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
- 2Department of Endocrinology, Fuzhou University Affiliated Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- 3Molecular Imaging Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia, Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- 4Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
Abstract
Obesity has become a major global public health challenge, and its rising prevalence contributes to substantial health and economic burdens. Existing systematic reviews are largely confined to a single intervention category or to mixed populations, which limits targeted recommendations for adults in whom obesity itself, rather than an established metabolic comorbidity, is the principal clinical concern. This protocol describes a systematic review and network meta-analysis comparing dietary, physical activity, behavioural and pharmacological interventions in adults with simple obesity, pragmatically defined as trial populations in which obesity itself is the primary inclusion criterion. We will search PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library from inception to the search date for randomised controlled trials. Two reviewers will independently screen records, extract data and assess risk of bias using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool. The principal primary outcome will be percentage change in body weight at the end of an intervention period of at least 24 weeks. Key secondary outcomes will include the proportion of participants achieving at least 5% weight loss, separate measures of central obesity, and health-related quality of life. Pairwise and network meta-analyses will be conducted under a frequentist random-effects framework, and small-study effects will be examined with funnel plots and regression-based tests. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression will explore prespecified effect modifiers, and the credibility of important subgroup findings will be judged with the ICEMAN instrument. Certainty of evidence will be assessed using the GRADE framework. Depending on the quality, consistency and certainty of the available evidence, the findings may inform clinical decision-making, future guideline development and research priorities. This review is registered with PROSPERO (CRD420251236477).
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BibTeX
@article{sun2026systematic,
title = {{Systematic review and network meta-analysis of interventions for adults with simple obesity: Study protocol}},
author = {Lingyao Sun and Lizhen Xu and Dachuang Zhou and Jun Wang and Xuan Yin and Wentao Ye and Lei Tian},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0351589},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0351589},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Systematic review and network meta-analysis of interventions for adults with simple obesity: Study protocol
AU - Lingyao Sun
AU - Lizhen Xu
AU - Dachuang Zhou
AU - Jun Wang
AU - Xuan Yin
AU - Wentao Ye
AU - Lei Tian
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0351589
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0351589
AB - Obesity has become a major global public health challenge, and its rising prevalence contributes to substantial health and economic burdens. Existing systematic reviews are largely confined to a single intervention category or to mixed populations, which limits targeted recommendations for adults in whom obesity itself, rather than an established metabolic comorbidity, is the principal clinical concern. This protocol describes a systematic review and network meta-analysis comparing dietary, physical activity, behavioural and pharmacological interventions in adults with simple obesity, pragmatically defined as trial populations in which obesity itself is the primary inclusion criterion. We will search PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library from inception to the search date for randomised controlled trials. Two reviewers will independently screen records, extract data and assess risk of bias using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool. The principal primary outcome will be percentage change in body weight at the end of an intervention period of at least 24 weeks. Key secondary outcomes will include the proportion of participants achieving at least 5% weight loss, separate measures of central obesity, and health-related quality of life. Pairwise and network meta-analyses will be conducted under a frequentist random-effects framework, and small-study effects will be examined with funnel plots and regression-based tests. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression will explore prespecified effect modifiers, and the credibility of important subgroup findings will be judged with the ICEMAN instrument. Certainty of evidence will be assessed using the GRADE framework. Depending on the quality, consistency and certainty of the available evidence, the findings may inform clinical decision-making, future guideline development and research priorities. This review is registered with PROSPERO (CRD420251236477).
SN - 1932-6203
ER -