The Effect of Lifestyle Intervention on Health-Related Quality of Life in Adults with Metabolic Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Q2
Jan 2021
Citations:35
Influential Citations:1
Systematic Reviews / Meta-Analyses
81
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Enhanced Details

Methods
Seven randomized controlled trials (N=637) in adults (≥18 years) with metabolic syndrome; mean age 54.7 years; mixed-sex samples with some male-only studies; trials conducted across Asia, North America, and South America; lifestyle interventions focused on diet, physical activity, and health education; comparator: general lifestyle information or usual care; HRQoL measured by SF-36.
Results
Lifestyle interventions significantly improve HRQoL across physical and mental domains in adults with metabolic syndrome. Physical HRQoL improvements include General Health (g=0.76), Bodily Pain (g=0.55), Physical Function (g=0.51), and Role Physical (g=0.54); overall physical HRQoL effect size g=0.61. Mental HRQoL improvements include Mental Health (g=0.71), Social Functioning (g=0.76), Role Emotional (g=0.86), Vitality (g=1.01); overall mental HRQoL effect size g=0.84. The combined result indicates meaningful HRQoL gains with lifestyle interventions; interpretation should consider substantial heterogeneity and potential publication bias; longer, larger trials are needed to confirm durability.
Limitations
Intervention duration ranged 12–36 weeks, limiting long-term conclusions; small number of RCTs with modest total sample; sex-specific effects could not be analyzed; substantial heterogeneity across studies; potential publication bias for physical HRQoL outcomes.

Abstract

The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the effects of a lifestyle intervention through health education on nutrition, physical activity, and healthy habits on physical and mental health-related quality of life (HRQoL), in adults with metabolic s...