Preprint Review Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Physical-Activity-Based Interventions Targeting Overweight and Obesity among University Students – A Systematic Review

Julia Katharina Pfisterer
† ORCID logo ,
Constantin Rausch
† ORCID logo ,
Doreen Wohlfahrth
† ORCID logo ,
Philip Bachert
ORCID logo ,
Darko Jekauc
ORCID logo ,
Kathrin Wunsch
* ORCID logo
†
These authors contributed equally to this work
Version 1 : Received: 30 June 2022 / Approved: 5 July 2022 / Online: 5 July 2022 (04:45:02 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Pfisterer, J.; Rausch, C.; Wohlfarth, D.; Bachert, P.; Jekauc, D.; Wunsch, K. Effectiveness of Physical-Activity-Based Interventions Targeting Overweight and Obesity among University Students—A Systematic Review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 9427. Pfisterer, J.; Rausch, C.; Wohlfarth, D.; Bachert, P.; Jekauc, D.; Wunsch, K. Effectiveness of Physical-Activity-Based Interventions Targeting Overweight and Obesity among University Students—A Systematic Review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 9427.

Abstract

Overweight and obesity, including its prevalence and consequences reflect a leading public health problem. Studies have already shown that physical activity leads to a reduction in body weight in children and adults. However, the university setting has rarely been investigated. The aim of this review is therefore to examine and summarize the effectiveness of physical-activity-based interventions to reduce obesity and overweight in university students. Three databases (PubMed, Scopus & Web of Science) were searched for relevant studies published in English between January 2010 and February 2022. Quantitative studies, conducting a physical-activity-based intervention with overweight or obese university students and reporting changes in BMI, were included. Data were described in a narrative synthesis. Eleven of 16 included studies reported a significant reduction in BMI. However, all studies except one were able to demonstrate some BMI improvements, whereas all studies reported significant changes in at least one health-related indicator. Aerobic exercises were able to demonstrate the greatest reductions in BMI. This review is the first systematic presentation on the effectiveness of physical-activity-based interventions on overweight and obese university students. Future work should reconsider BMI as the primary outcome because it is prone to bias. More interventions are needed to improve strategies.

Keywords

physical activity; overweight; obesity; BMI; university students

Subject

Public Health and Healthcare, Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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