Online Prevention Aimed at Lifestyle Behaviors: A Systematic Review of Reviews

Kohl, Leonie; Crutzen, Rik; Vries, Nanne K. de

doi:10.2196/jmir.2665

Cited by 378 publications

(373 citation statements)

References 82 publications

(273 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

348

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…35,39 Tailoring and Fit Engagement with DBCIs has typically been greater among those with higher levels of education and income. 3 However, recent improvements in digital access in lower-income countries and to all sociodemographic groups mean that it is timely and important to consider the extent to which it may be necessary to tailor DBCIs to ensure they are accessible and engaging for people with lower levels of education, literacy, or computer literacy. 44 Interventions to improve health literacy have included using simple language, presenting information in audio-visual formats, tailoring content to individual needs, and other forms of interactivity.…”

Section: Promoting Effective Engagementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1 Maintaining engagement can be especially diffi-cult when DBCIs are used without human support, typically leading to high levels of dropout and "non-usage attrition," 2,3 whereby participants do not sustain engage-ment with the intervention technologies. This paper discusses current approaches to conceptualizing and measuring engagement, and considers key issues relevant to promoting effective engagement.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Understanding and Promoting Effective Engagement With Digital Behavior Change Interventions

Yardley

Spring

Riper

et al. 2016

American Journal of Preventive Medicine

932

865

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper is one in a series developed through a process of expert consensus to provide an overview of questions of current importance in research into engagement with digital behavior change interventions, identifying guidance based on research to date and priority topics for future research. The first part of this paper critically reflects on current approaches to conceptualizing and measuring engagement. Next, issues relevant to promoting effective engagement are discussed, including how best to tailor to individual needs and combine digital and human support. A key conclusion with regard to conceptualizing engagement is that it is important to understand the relationship between engagement with the digital intervention and the desired behavior change. This paper argues that it may be more valuable to establish and promote "effective engagement," rather than simply more engagement, with "effective engagement" defined empirically as sufficient engagement with the intervention to achieve intended outcomes. Appraisal of the value and limitations of methods of assessing different aspects of engagement highlights the need to identify valid and efficient combinations of measures to develop and test multidimensional models of engagement. The final section of the paper reflects on how interventions can be designed to fit the user and their specific needs and context. Despite many unresolved questions posed by novel and rapidly changing technologies, there is widespread consensus that successful intervention design demands a user-centered and iterative approach to development, using mixed methods and in-depth qualitative research to progressively refine the intervention to meet user requirements.

show abstract

Section: Promoting Effective Engagementmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding and Promoting Effective Engagement With Digital Behavior Change Interventions

Yardley

Spring

Riper

et al. 2016

American Journal of Preventive Medicine

932

865

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…There is also uncertainty if these apps help individuals achieve and maintain personal fitness long term. To further complicate, technology usage attrition in studies of eHealth technology is an issue that can negatively affect results (4,5).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The fitness of apps: a theory-based examination of mobile fitness app usage over 5 months

Herrmann

Kim

2017

mHealth

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: There are thousands of fitness-related smartphone applications ("apps") available for free and purchase, but there is uncertainty if these apps help individuals achieve and maintain personal fitness.Technology usage attrition is also a concern among research studies on health technologies.Methods: Usage of three fitness apps was examined over 5 months to assess adherence and effectiveness.Initially, 64 participants downloaded three free apps available on Android and iOS and 47 remained in the study until posttest. With a one group pre-posttest design and checkpoints at months 1, 3, and 5, exercise and exercise with fitness apps were examined in the framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) using a validated survey. Apps were selected based on their function from the Functional Triad. Perceived fitness was also measured. T-tests, sign tests, Fisher's exact tests, and linear and logistic regression were used to compare pre to posttests and users to non-users of the apps.Results: Forty-seven participants completed both pre and posttests. Individual item scores indicated no significant change pre to posttest except for decreases observed in usefulness of using apps for exercise (attitude) (−0.78, P<0.01), peer influence on exercise (subjective norm) (−0.51, P<0.05), peer influence on exercise with apps (subjective norm) (−1.02, P<0.01), perceived difficulties in exercising with apps (perceived behavioral control) (−1.29, P<0.001), and the expected frequency of exercise with apps over the next 2 weeks (behavioral intention) (P<0.0001 in a sign test). Subscale total scores indicated significant decreases in subjective norm regarding exercise (−0.72, P<0.05), subjective norm regarding exercise with apps (−1.72, P<0.01), and perceived behavioral control over exercising with apps (−2.56, P<0.01) between pre and posttest.When comparing app users (n=32) to non-users (n=15), there was only a significant difference in subscale total scores at posttest for attitude toward exercising using apps, which was significantly more favorable among users than non-users (32.3 vs. 27.6, P<0.05). Fitness perception did not change over 5 months regarding cardiovascular fitness, strength, endurance, flexibility, or body composition. Technology usage attrition was desirable at 31.9%.Conclusions: App usage and effectiveness appears to have a connection to usefulness (attitude) and to perceived difficulties of exercising using apps (perceived behavioral control). Exercise and exercise using apps are not influenced by peer influence (subjective norm). Intention to exercise using these particular apps decreased (behavioral intention). Those who utilized the apps were more likely to have a positive attitude about the apps. Usefulness and perceived difficulties in particular should be considered with future app development.App usefulness and ease of use may be facilitated by using health behavior theories to guide development.

show abstract

“…Less than 5% of all studies included appeared in more than one systematic review, indicating the breadth and diversity of studies reviewed. The major modes of program delivery were (a) mHealth, text messaging, mobile, and/or smart-phone technologies (n = 21) (5, 7, 14, 19, 23, 35-37, 39, 41, 44, 52, 62, 80, 90, 94, 98, 104, 110, 114, 119); (b) Web-or Internet-based programs (n = 23) (3,8,15,42,49,60,70,72,78,81,82,84,89,96,105,106,108,111,118,124,129,131,135); (c) telehealth and/or telemonitoring (n = 9) (1,21,28,56,65,85,99,100,125); and (d ) social media (n = 3) (22,87,123). One review included studies of mobile and Internet-based technologies to promote physical activity for individuals with type 2 diabetes (31).…”

Section: Evidence For Effectiveness Uptake and Use Of Technology Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using New Technologies to Improve the Prevention and Management of Chronic Conditions in Populations

Oldenburg

Taylor

O’Neil

et al. 2015

Annu. Rev. Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Lifestyle factors are important in the development of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, respiratory disease, and diabetes, and chronic disease risk can be reduced by changes in lifestyle behaviors linked to these conditions. The use of mass media and community-wide strategies targeting these behaviors has been extensively evaluated since the 1970s. This review summarizes some examples of interventions and their use of media conducted within the old communications landscape of the 1970s and 1980s and the key lessons learned from their design, implementation, and evaluation. We then consider the potential and evidence base for using contemporary technology applications and platforms-within the new communications landscape-to improve the prevention and management of lifestyle-related chronic diseases in the future. We discuss the implications and adaptation of lessons derived from the ways in which new technologies are being used in commercial and political contexts and their relevance for public health. Finally, we consider some recent examples of applying new technologies to public health issues and consider some of the challenges in this rapidly developing field. COMMUNITY INTERVENTIONS CONDUCTED WITHIN THE OLD COMMUNICATIONS LANDSCAPESeminal epidemiological studies of the 1950s and 1960s (33, 38) demonstrated the influence of lifestyle-related factors in the development of chronic diseases, such as cancers and heart and respiratory diseases. The potential to ameliorate the risk and burden of lifestyle-related chronic disease using lifestyle-based behavior change strategies was soon realized and continues to this day (47). In developed countries, theory-based community interventions targeting lifestyle-related behavior risk factors commenced in the 1970s and have continued to the present day. Community Studies in the 1970sThe North Karelia Project, Finland. In the early 1970s, Finland had one of the highest cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality rates in the world. The North Karelia Project started in 1972 as a national pilot and demonstration program aimed at reducing population levels of wellestablished CVD risk factors and thus the incidence of CVD (73,103). This comprehensive, community-wide intervention program utilized multiple lifestyle change strategies, including use of the state-of-the-art mass media of that time-that is, radio, television, billboards, newspapers, magazine articles, pamphlets, and other printed materials-combined with environmental and legislative approaches. The project developed and evaluated a model that systematically addressed the steps leading to changes in social norms and community-wide behavior change. After the initial intervention phase (1972)(1973)(1974)(1975)(1976)(1977), the project findings and lessons were further adapted and more widely implemented to develop a comprehensive national heart health program in Finland.An evaluation involving population surveys and disease registers showed that the population risk factor levels in Finland were greatly redu...

show abstract

Online Prevention Aimed at Lifestyle Behaviors: A Systematic Review of Reviews

Cited by 378 publications

References 82 publications

Understanding and Promoting Effective Engagement With Digital Behavior Change Interventions

Understanding and Promoting Effective Engagement With Digital Behavior Change Interventions

The fitness of apps: a theory-based examination of mobile fitness app usage over 5 months

Using New Technologies to Improve the Prevention and Management of Chronic Conditions in Populations

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About