Title: The efficacy of eHealth interventions in treating adults diagnosed with
full and subthreshold binge eating disorder: A Meta-analysis

Background: There has been a recent rise in the use of eHealth
treatments for a variety of psychological disorders, including eating
disorders.
Objective: This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials is the
first to evaluate the efficacy of eHealth interventions specifically for
the treatment of binge eating disorder (BED)– characterized by
compulsive overconsumption of food, in a relatively short period of time
and without compensatory behaviors like purging or fasting.
Methods: A search on the electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science,
Embase, Medline, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health
Literature (CINAHL) was conducted for randomized controlled trials that
compared the efficacy of eHealth treatment interventions to wait-list
controls. From the databases searched, three studies met the inclusion
criteria, and all the interventions administered were forms of
internet-based guided cognitive behavioral therapy.
Results: The results of the analysis demonstrate that when compared to
wait list controls, eHealth interventions reduce objective binge
episodes (OBE; SMD is -0.77, 95% CI, -1.38 to -0.16) and eating disorder
psychopathology (SMD -0.71, 95% CI -1.20 to -0.22), which include shape
(SMD -0.61, 95% CI -1.01 to -0.22) and weight concerns (SMD -0.91, 95%
CI -1.33 to -0.48). There was no significant difference in body mass
index between eHealth interventions and controls (SMD -0.01, 95% CI,
-0.40 to 0.39).
Conclusions: These findings provide promising results for the use of
internet-based CBT for BED treatment and support the greater need for
future research to explore the efficacy of these eHealth interventions.