Opportunities for physical activity within clinical care: positive healthcare effects of exercise interventions delivered via telehealth services with evidence-based fitness resources

BACKGROUND: This article is an overview of the scientific research on the effectiveness of the original weight management program delivered via telehealth services for middle-aged overweight women - the summary of three original scientific studies that complement each other (N.=55, N.=105, N.=62).

METHODS: The manuscript presents theoretical analysis of special scientific and methodological literature, anthropometric and pedagogical methods and methods of mathematical statistics. The physical fitness profile of the middle-aged overweight and obese women was assessed by factor analysis.

RESULTS: The pilot feasibility study involving women with an average age of 37.2 years (N.=55) was designed to explore the possibility of remote implementation of primary and ongoing measurement for main anthropometric indicators characterizing excessive body weight. The cross-sectional study involving overweight and obese women (via the Body Mass Index [BMI] from 25.00 to 32.10 kg/m2) with an average age of 38.9 years (N.=105) explored the data with factor analysis and identified the major factors, which determined the structure of physical condition in middle-aged obese women and selected the most informative criteria for designing self-training exercise programs. These criteria were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the original weight management program delivered via telehealth services for middle-aged overweight women in interventional cohort study (N.=62). Participation in the weight management program resulted in significant changes in the morpho-functional status of the women.

CONCLUSIONS: This article consisting of three blocks presents the original weight management program whose detailed description and proved effectiveness make this article valuable from a practical point of view for health care professionals who consider telemedicine tools possible for implantation in their practice with obese people.