Table 2 Quantitative study results

Ashton, 2017

Australia

2 arms: intervention versus control (no treatment)

BMI, weight, Fruit & Vegetable intake (serves/day), Diet Quality, Energy Intake (kJ/day), body fat mass (g)

BMI: Mean difference change in BMI between intervention and control at 3 months: − 0.50 [− 0.89, − 0.11]

Beetham, 2015

United States

2 arms: Intervention #1 = Technology plus in-person; Intervention #2 = technology only

No control arm group, therefore excluded from meta-analyses.

BMI, weight

BMI: Mean change of BMI at 8 weeks (intervention group #1): − 0.34 (s.d. 1.01); (intervention group #2): − 0.72 (s.d. 0.73).

Chung, 2017

United States

1 arm

Fruit and vegetable intake, SSB intake

Overweight group: increased fruit intake by mean 2.1 servings & vegetables by mean 2.5 serving & decreased SSB by 1.2 beverages; Healthy weight group: increased fruit intake by mean 1.8 servings & vegetables 0.5 servings & decreased SSB by 0.3 beverages. Measures of variance and statistical significance were not reported.

Dadkhah, 2013

United States

2 arms: Intervention versus control

BMI, weight, energy intake (kcal/day)

BMI: Mean difference between intervention and control at 7 months: 0.75 [0.62, 0.88]

Gow, 2010

United States

4 arms: Intervention #1: Internet only; #2: Feedback only; #3: combined Internet and feedback; #4: control

BMI, weight, Fruit and vegetable (combined) intake (serves/day)

BMI: Mean difference between intervention and control at 6 weeks: 0.91 [−1.23, 3.05]

Harvey-Berino, 2012

United States

1 arm; analysis was presented from 4 groups: Overweight versus healthy weight; and weight loss goal versus healthy lifestyle goal

BMI, weight

Results were reported for 4 groups. BMI: Mean difference between 4 months and baseline in overweight group with goal of weight loss: −1.0 [−2.47, 0.47]

Hebden, 2014

Australia

2 arms: Intervention versus control (received paper booklet with diet and physical activity information and one appointment with a dietitian)

BMI, weight, Vegetable intake, fruit intake, sugar-sweetened beverages, energy-dense takeaway meals

BMI: Mean difference between intervention and control at 3 months, adjusted for baseline data: −0.11 [−0.66, 0.43]; Vegetable, fruit, SSB: no statistical differences between interventionand control arms at 3 months

Laska & Lytle, 2017

United States

2 arms: Intervention versus control (received health promotion information quarterly)

BMI, weight, waist circumference, % body fat

BMI: Mean difference between intervention and control at 24 months: −0.20 [− 0.98, 0.58]

Laska, 2016

United States

see Laska and Lytle

Fast food, sugary beverages, eat breakfast 5–7 days/week; weekly meals prepared at home

SSB: Mean difference between intervention and control at 24 months: −0.10 [− 0.38, 0.18]

Meng, 2017

United States

5 arms: # 1: demographically similar, incremental change; # 2 demographically diverse/incremental changes; # 3 demographically similar/ ideal changes; # 4 demographically diverse/ideal changes; and #5:control

Fruit and vegetable intake

Not reported by pre-assigned groups

Merchant, 2014 & Godino 2016

United States

2 arms: intervention versus control (access o website with general health information and quarterly newsletters)

BMI, weight

BMI: Mean difference between intervention and control at 24 months: −0.30 [− 0.89, 0.29]

Napolitano, 2013

United States

3 arms: Intervention #1: Facebook only; Intervention #2: Facebook PLUS goal setting/ self-monitoring/social support

Weight

Weight: Mean difference change of weight between intervention and control at 8 weeks: −0.39 [−2.07, 1.29]

Pappa, 2017

Brazil

All members of r/Loseit forum; active users with weight data were included in quantitative analysis

Weight

3.7%(28/754) of users gained weight (mean 3.88%, SD 4.04), 3.5%(25/754) maintained weight, and 92.9% (701/754) lost weight.

Partridge, 2015 & Partridge, 2016

Australia

2 arms: Intervention versus control

BMI, weight

BMI: Mean difference between intervention and control at 3 months: −0.40 [−0.91, 0.11]