Table 3

Pooled intervention effects on biomarkers: controlled trials of 34 adult sedentary behaviour interventions ≥7 days

OutcomeMain findingsPublication-bias correctedLeave-one-out sensitivity analysis
knAll studiesMost benefitLeast benefit
I2, P valuePooled effect (95% CI)P valuePooled (95% CI)Pooled effect (95% CI)Pooled effect (95% CI)
Weight, kg25183923.6%, p=0.142−0.56 (−0.94 to −0.17) 0.005 n/a−0.63 (−1.03 to −0.23)*−0.47 (−0.75 to −0.18)†
Body mass index, kg/m2 2418430.0%, p=0.804−0.07 (−0.16 to 0.03)0.167−0.08 (−0.17 to 0.02)−0.10 (−0.20 to 0.01)‡−0.04 (−0.14 to 0.06)§
Waist circumference, cm192076 45.8%, p=0.016 −0.72 (−1.21 to −0.22) 0.004 −1.00 (−1.51 to −0.49)−0.95 (−1.38 to −0.51)¶**−0.61 (−1.20 to −0.01)¶††
Body fat, %1616185.5%, p=0.390−0.26 (−0.50 to −0.02) 0.034 −0.37 (−0.65 to −0.10)−0.37 (−0.61 to −0.12)‡−0.17 (−0.43 to 0.09)**
Fat mass, kg672426.6%, p=0.235−0.33 (−0.74 to 0.08)0.116n/a−0.42 (−0.73 to −0.10)‡‡−0.23 (−0.63 to 0.16)§§
Fat-free mass, kg71011 72.7%, p=0.001 0.00 (−0.52 to 0.53)0.9920.48 (−0.02 to 0.98)0.12 (−0.40 to 0.65)‡−0.25 (−0.57 to 0.06)¶**
Blood pressure, mm Hg  
 Systolic2519328.6%, p=0.341−1.05 (−2.08 to −0.02) 0.045 n/a−1.42 (−2.38 to −0.45)‡−0.75 (−1.81 to 0.31)¶¶
 Diastolic251932 52.6%, p=0.001 −0.69 (−1.69 to 0.32)0.180n/a−0.92 (−1.86 to 0.02)***−0.36 (−1.28 to 0.56)†††
Glucose, mM191518 45.5%, p=0.017 −0.03 (−0.11 to 0.05)0.526−0.04 (−0.13 to 0.05)−0.05 (−0.11 to 0.02)¶‡‡‡−0.01 (−0.11 to 0.09)¶¶
Insulin, pM101102 64.0%, p=0.003 −1.42 (−2.82 to -0.02) 0.047 −1.03 (−2.48 to 0.42)−4.13 (−7.48 to -0.78)§§§−0.45 (−1.60 to 0.69)¶*
HbA1c, %9892 72.9%, p=0.000 −0.10 (−0.22 to 0.03)0.129−0.03 (−0.16 to 0.09)−0.14 (−0.29 to 0.01)¶¶¶−0.05 (−0.17 to 0.07)§§
Cholesterol, mM   
 Total231798 54.1%, p=0.001 −0.06 (−0.16 to 0.04)0.213−0.10 (−0.20 to −0.00)−0.08 (−0.18 to 0.02)‡‡‡−0.03 (−0.11 to 0.05)¶****
 High-density lipoprotein22176022.5%, p=0.168 0.04 (0.02 to 0.07) <0.001 0.05 (0.02 to 0.07) 0.05 (0.03 to 0.07)§ 0.03 (0.01 to 0.06)¶¶
 Low-density lipoprotein2016600.0%, p=0.690−0.02 (−0.07 to 0.04)0.562−0.01 (−0.07 to 0.05)−0.03 (−0.09 to 0.03)‡‡‡−0.00 (−0.06 to 0.06)††††
 Triglycerides, mM231742 49.0%, p=0.005 −0.02 (−0.09 to 0.04)0.496−0.06 (−0.13 to 0.01)−0.04 (−0.10 to 0.03)‡‡−0.01 (−0.07 to 0.06)§§

  • k, n = number of interventions, number of individuals (sum of n analysed in each included study).

  • Boldface indicates pooled effect is p<0.05.

  • *Omitted Healy et al (2017).

  • †Omitted Ashe et al (2015).

  • ‡Omitted Maylor et al (2018).

  • §Omitted Pesola et al (2017).

  • ¶Heterogeneity no longer p<0.05 in leave-one-out sensitivity analysis.

  • **Omitted Danquah et al (2017).

  • ††Omitted Puig-Ribera et al (2015).

  • ‡‡Omitted Healy et al (2013).

  • §§Omitted Kallings et al (2017).

  • ¶¶Omitted Butler et al (2018).

  • ***Omitted Mantzari et al (2018).

  • †††Omitted Lin et al (2017).

  • ‡‡‡Omitted Taylor et al (2016) (Computer intervention).

  • §§§Omitted Balducci (2019).

  • ¶¶¶Omitted Biddle (2015).

  • ****Omitted Thomsen et al (2017).

  • ††††Omitted Aadahl et al (2014).

  • n/a, not applicable.