Do health coaching interventions have effects in patients with chronic kidney disease? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PURPOSE: Health coaching interventions have been shown to be effective in some chronic diseases but remain unclear in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This review aimed to assess the effectiveness of health coaching interventions in patients with CKD.

METHODS

A systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, APA PsycINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global was conducted from inception to March 17, 2025. Review Manager 5.3 and Stata 15.1 software were used to perform the meta-analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 8 randomized controlled trials involving 738 patients were included. Health coaching interventions could statistically significantly reduce body weight (MD: - 1.5; 95% CI: - 1.62, - 1.38), systolic blood pressure (MD: - 3.04; 95% CI: - 3.54, - 2.54), and improve the physical (SMD: 1.06; 95% CI: 0.29, 1.82) and mental (SMD: 1.03; 95% CI: 0.11, 1.95) components of quality of life. But they had no effects on interdialytic weight gain (MD: - 0.02; 95% CI: - 0.32, 0.28), diastolic blood pressure (MD: - 1.79; 95% CI: - 4.19, 0.61), overall quality of life (SMD: 0.38; 95% CI: - 0.15, 0.91), depression (SMD: - 0.13; 95% CI: - 0.45, 0.19), and self-efficacy (SMD: 1.40; 95% CI: - 0.27, 3.07).

CONCLUSION

Health coaching interventions could reduce body weight and systolic blood pressure while improving physical and mental quality of life for patients with CKD. However, the observed effect sizes were small and did not consistently reach clinically meaningful thresholds, and their relevance to CKD populations remains uncertain. Nonetheless, incorporating these interventions into the comprehensive care of patients with CKD is both necessary and promising. Future high-quality studies are encouraged to explore further insights into health coaching interventions for patients with CKD.