Effects of digital health interventions on objectively measured physical activity during the perinatal period: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives Insufficient physical activity is prevalent among perinatal women, and digital health interventions offer a promising avenue to promote engagement in physical activity within this population. However, previous studies have relied heavily on self-reported data, lacking a systematic synthesis based on objective measurements. This study aims to systematically evaluate the effects of digital health interventions on objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behavior in perinatal women. Methods A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library databases from inception to December 20, 2025. Fourteen randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 2,101 participants were included. The Risk of Bias 2.0 (RoB 2.0) tool was used to assess bias risk, random-effects models were employed to pool effect sizes, and the quality of evidence was evaluated using the GRADE system. Results The meta-analysis showed that, following the exclusion of outliers via sensitivity analysis, digital health interventions significantly increased daily step counts (MD = 0.68, p < 0.00001, I 2 = 0%; moderate quality of evidence) and light physical activity (LPA; MD = 13.04 min/day, p = 0.03, I 2 = 0%; low quality of evidence) in perinatal women. However, the interventions did not yield significant improvements in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA; MD = 1.37 min/day, p = 0.16) or sedentary time (MD = −1.70 min/day, p = 0.79), with extremely high consistency observed across studies ( I 2 = 0%). Subgroup analyses indicated that the effect on increasing step counts remained highly consistent across different perinatal stages and intervention modes. Conclusion Digital health interventions can effectively and robustly enhance daily baseline activity levels in perinatal women, with the observed increments potentially reaching the minimal effective dose for improving metabolic health. However, current intervention designs face challenges in driving high-intensity behavior change and disrupting sedentary habits. Future research should explore more targeted and personalized intervention strategies. Systematic review registration This systematic review and meta-analysis has been registered in PROSPERO ( www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero ), identifier CRD420261280936.