Technology-based interventions to promote physical activity in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries: a scoping review protocol

Introduction Physical inactivity is considered a major public health burden and remains highly prevalent across Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries despite the rapid digital transformation and investment in health information infrastructure. Although technology-based interventions have emerged as promising approaches to promote physical activity, their implementation and impact are still unclear. This scoping review will map technology-based interventions that promote physical activity in the GCC against the domains of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to provide a better understanding of the contexts, implementation mechanisms and outcomes.

Methods and analysis This review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews to identify peer-reviewed and grey literature on interventions promoting physical activity delivered through digital technologies among people residing in GCC countries. Six electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL Plus, Web of Science, Scopus and Epistemonikos), Google Scholar and GCC government websites will be searched. Eligible sources will include technology-based interventions that promote, monitor or track physical activity (eg, mobile apps, SMS, wearables, eHealth/mHealth services, telehealth or web-based platforms). Two reviewers will independently screen titles, abstracts and full texts. Data on study characteristics, technologies, intervention components, outcomes and settings will be charted. A qualitative synthesis of implementation factors will be conducted and mapped to CFIR domains. The review will support future research and policy development in the GCC region.

Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not required as this study involves secondary analysis of published and publicly available data. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication and conference presentations.