Effects of an Abdominal Obesity Management Program on Physiological Bio-markers of Middle-aged Women in Korea: A Meta-analysis

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of an abdominal obesity management program in middle-aged women in Korea. METHODS: Examination of databases, including the Research Information Sharing Service, Database Periodical Information Academic, and Korean Studies Information, resulted in identification of 772 studies performed up to 2014, of which 43 satisfied the inclusion data. Data analysis was performed using R version 3.2 to calculate the effect sizes, explore possible causes of heterogeneity, and check for publication bias, using a funnel plot and its trim-and-fill analysis. RESULTS: The mean effect size of the management program was small (g=0.22), along with the anthropometric index (g=0.18), metabolism index (g=0.21), fat-distribution (g=0.36), and inflammatory index (g=0.36). Moderator analysis was performed to determine heterogeneity, but no significant differences were found between the randomized controlled trial (RCT) group and non-RCT group. In addition, the length of the session was found to be statistically significant after performing a meta-regression. Finally, a funnel plot with a trim-and-fill analysis was produced to check for publication bias, but no significant bias was detected. CONCLUSION: Based on these findings, the abdominal obesity management program affects middle-aged women in Korea. Further research is needed to target other age groups with abdominal obesity.