Effectiveness of mobile health interventions for promoting moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in children and adolescents: systematic review and meta-analysis.
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Physical Education, College of Education for the Future, Beijing Normal University, No. 18 Jinfeng Road, Zhuhai, Guangdong, 519087, China.
- 2Department of Physical Education and Sport, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
- 3Department of Physical Education, College of Education for the Future, Beijing Normal University, No. 18 Jinfeng Road, Zhuhai, Guangdong, 519087, China. [email protected].
- 4Department of Physical Education and Sport, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China. [email protected].
- 5Department of Physical Education, College of Education for the Future, Beijing Normal University, No. 18 Jinfeng Road, Zhuhai, Guangdong, 519087, China. [email protected].
- 6Department of Physical Education and Sport, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China. [email protected].
Abstract
Background
Mobile health (mHealth) interventions have been proposed as a feasible approach to promoting physical activity in children and adolescents; however, evidence regarding their effects on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) remains inconsistent.Objective
This study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials examining the effects of mHealth interventions on MVPA in children and adolescents and to explore potential moderators such as intervention modality and duration.Methods
Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO were searched for randomized controlled trials published from January 2010 to March 2026. Eligible studies included children and adolescents aged 4-18 years, used mHealth as the core intervention component, and reported MVPA outcomes. Two reviewers independently conducted screening, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool. Pooled effect sizes were calculated using a random-effects model. Subgroup analyses, sensitivity analyses, and Egger's test were performed to explore heterogeneity, examine robustness, and assess publication bias.Results
Twelve trials involving 3,736 participants were included. Overall, mHealth interventions were associated with a small but statistically significant improvement in MVPA compared with control conditions (SMD = 0.13, 95% CI 0.05-0.22; P = .002), with substantial heterogeneity across studies (I² = 92%). Subgroup analyses suggested variation by intervention modality and duration; however, these findings were exploratory in nature. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the pooled effect became non-significant after exclusion of the study by Gómez-Cuesta et al. (2024), suggesting limited robustness of the overall estimate.Conclusions
mHealth interventions may have a small potential effect on MVPA in children and adolescents; however, the evidence is characterized by substantial heterogeneity and sensitivity to individual studies. Current evidence is insufficient to draw firm conclusions regarding effectiveness.Trial registration
This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 statement. The review protocol was prospectively registered in the PROSPERO database (Registration number: CRD420261339563; Registration date: 13 March 2026).
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BibTeX
@article{gong2026effectiveness,
title = {{Effectiveness of mobile health interventions for promoting moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in children and adolescents: systematic review and meta-analysis.}},
author = {Binping Gong and Da Wang and Xinyu Chen and Mingming Guo and Xiaotian Wang},
journal = {BMC public health},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12889-026-28748-5},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42968031},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Effectiveness of mobile health interventions for promoting moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in children and adolescents: systematic review and meta-analysis.
AU - Binping Gong
AU - Da Wang
AU - Xinyu Chen
AU - Mingming Guo
AU - Xiaotian Wang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/01
JO - BMC public health
DO - 10.1186/s12889-026-28748-5
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42968031
AB - Background Mobile health (mHealth) interventions have been proposed as a feasible approach to promoting physical activity in children and adolescents; however, evidence regarding their effects on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) remains inconsistent.Objective This study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials examining the effects of mHealth interventions on MVPA in children and adolescents and to explore potential moderators such as intervention modality and duration.Methods Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO were searched for randomized controlled trials published from January 2010 to March 2026. Eligible studies included children and adolescents aged 4-18 years, used mHealth as the core intervention component, and reported MVPA outcomes. Two reviewers independently conducted screening, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool. Pooled effect sizes were calculated using a random-effects model. Subgroup analyses, sensitivity analyses, and Egger's test were performed to explore heterogeneity, examine robustness, and assess publication bias.Results Twelve trials involving 3,736 participants were included. Overall, mHealth interventions were associated with a small but statistically significant improvement in MVPA compared with control conditions (SMD = 0.13, 95% CI 0.05-0.22; P = .002), with substantial heterogeneity across studies (I² = 92%). Subgroup analyses suggested variation by intervention modality and duration; however, these findings were exploratory in nature. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the pooled effect became non-significant after exclusion of the study by Gómez-Cuesta et al. (2024), suggesting limited robustness of the overall estimate.Conclusions mHealth interventions may have a small potential effect on MVPA in children and adolescents; however, the evidence is characterized by substantial heterogeneity and sensitivity to individual studies. Current evidence is insufficient to draw firm conclusions regarding effectiveness.Trial registration This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 statement. The review protocol was prospectively registered in the PROSPERO database (Registration number: CRD420261339563; Registration date: 13 March 2026).
SN - 1471-2458
ER -