Title |
Long-term Lifestyle-modification Programs for Overweight and Obesity Management in the Arab States: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
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Published in |
Current Diabetes Reviews, January 2018
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DOI | 10.2174/1573399813666170619085756 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Dima Kreidieh, Leila Itani, Germine El Kassas, Dana El Masri, Simona Calugi, Riccardo Dalle Grave, Marwan El Ghoch |
Abstract |
Obesity is a growing health problem worldwide. It is associated with serious medical and psychosocial comorbidities that increase the risk of mortality. However, strong evidence confirms lifestyle-modification programs as the cornerstone treatment for excess weight and obesity. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of the lifestyle-modification programs for weight management delivered in Arabic-speaking countries. The PubMed database was searched, and studies conducted in humans were identified and screened as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Data were collated using meta-analysis and a narrative approach. Of the 1057 articles retrieved, six studies, conducted in four Arab countries, comprising a total of 444 adolescent and adult participants of both genders with overweight and obesity, met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Most studies that assessed weight loss at 6-month follow-up showed no significant reduction in body weight. Meta-analysis confirmed that the lifestyle-modification programs delivered were no more effective than other treatments. Only one article reported significant weight-loss maintenance after 12 months of follow-up. However this was a prospective non-controlled study in which the weight loss maintained (=4%) did not conform to the standard for clinical significance (>10%). Lifestyle-modification programs for weight management delivered in Arabic-speaking countries seem lacking in effectiveness due to methodological weaknesses in program adaptation, a lack of expert clinical supervision before and during implementation, and the presence of barriers to lifestyle modification, especially for women. Future studies should bear these features in mind. |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 60 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 7 | 12% |
Student > Master | 7 | 12% |
Researcher | 5 | 8% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 5 | 8% |
Professor | 4 | 7% |
Other | 17 | 28% |
Unknown | 15 | 25% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Psychology | 12 | 20% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 9 | 15% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 5 | 8% |
Unspecified | 4 | 7% |
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science | 2 | 3% |
Other | 9 | 15% |
Unknown | 19 | 32% |