scholarly journals Online and Offline Behavior Change Techniques to Promote a Healthy Lifestyle: A Qualitative Study

Author(s):  
Daniël Bossen ◽  
Monique Bak ◽  
Katja Braam ◽  
Manon Wentink ◽  
Jasmijn Holla ◽  
...  

Combined lifestyle interventions (CLI) are focused on guiding clients with weight-related health risks into a healthy lifestyle. CLIs are most often delivered through face-to-face sessions with limited use of eHealth technologies. To integrate eHealth into existing CLIs, it is important to identify how behavior change techniques are being used by health professionals in the online and offline treatment of overweight clients. Therefore, we conducted online semi-structured interviews with providers of online and offline lifestyle interventions. Data were analyzed using an inductive thematic approach. Thirty-eight professionals with (n = 23) and without (n = 15) eHealth experience were interviewed. Professionals indicate that goal setting and action planning, providing feedback and monitoring, facilitating social support, and shaping knowledge are of high value to improve physical activity and eating behaviors. These findings suggest that it may be beneficial to use monitoring devices combined with video consultations to provide just-in-time feedback based on the client’s actual performance. In addition, it can be useful to incorporate specific social support functions allowing CLI clients to interact with each other. Lastly, our results indicate that online modules can be used to enhance knowledge about health consequences of unhealthy behavior in clients with weight-related health risks.

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 134
Author(s):  
Sima Ghasemi ◽  
Nastaran Keshavarz Mohammadi ◽  
Farahnaz Mohammadi Shahboulaghi ◽  
Ali Ramezankhani

<p><strong>INTRODUCTION: </strong>Background and purpose: Human’s longevity has increased with advances in health and better management of communicable diseases. Therefore, the number of older adult is increasing in developed and developing countries. A glimpse at studies reveals that identifying elderly’s health needs has been mainly based on the experts’ understanding, while older adult themselves have rarely expressed their own opinions. This study aimed to better understand Tehran, Iran elderly’s perception of their own health needs.</p><p><strong>METHODS: </strong>In this qualitative study, with purposeful sampling, data was collected by conducting deep semi-structured interviews with elderlies aged 60-84 years, residing at their private houses. After 19 interviews, the data achieved saturation. The content of the interviews was analyzed through content-analysis approach.<strong></strong></p><p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Data analyses led to extracting main categories of needs in different domains. The main health needs in physical health domain included: having a healthy lifestyle, independence and safety. Regarding elders’ mental health, coping with their aging, inner tranquility; regarding their spiritual health, the need to have a meaning in life and faithfulness in religion were identified as main groups of needs. And the most important among their main social health needs were the needs for emotional and social support, social involvement and instrumental social support. <strong></strong></p><p><strong>CONCLUSION: </strong>Although, a wide range of physical, mental and social needs were raised, some were more important. Fulfilling the emotional needs in social health had the highest frequency among the needs expressed by the contributors. Following that with a notable difference were the frequencies of having a healthy lifestyle, independence and inner tranquility. This means that attempts to address elderly health needs should avoid focusing mainly or even only on disease related needs and serious attention should be paid to their emotional and social needs.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 3244
Author(s):  
Laura Hallward ◽  
Keryn Chemtob ◽  
Sylvie D. Lambert ◽  
Lindsay R. Duncan

Both men with prostate cancer and their caregivers report experiencing a number of challenges and health consequences, and require programs to help support the cancer patient–caregiver dyad. A tailored, web-based, psychosocial and physical activity self-management program (TEMPO), which implements behavior change techniques to help facilitate behavior change for the dyads was created and its acceptability was tested in a qualitative study. The purpose of this secondary analysis was to explore the dyads’ experiences using behavior change techniques to change behavior and address current needs and challenges while enrolled in TEMPO. Multiple semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 prostate cancer-caregiver dyads over the course of the program, resulting in 46 transcripts that were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis. Results revealed four main themes: (1) learning new behavior change techniques, (2) engaging with behavior change techniques learned in the past, (3) resisting full engagement with behavior change techniques, and (4) experiencing positive outcomes from using behavior change techniques. The dyads’ discussions of encountering behavior change techniques provided unique insight into the process of learning and implementing behavior change techniques through a web-based self-management program, and the positive outcomes that resulted from behavior changes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (8) ◽  
pp. 769-781 ◽  
Author(s):  
Libby Fergie ◽  
Katarzyna A Campbell ◽  
Tom Coleman-Haynes ◽  
Michael Ussher ◽  
Sue Cooper ◽  
...  

Abstract Background During pregnancy, consuming alcohol and using illicit drugs can have serious health implications for both mother and child. Behavioral change interventions, especially those underpinned by theoretical constructs, can be effective in reducing harmful substance use among pregnant women. Purpose To understand what type of behavior change mechanisms could be useful in reducing alcohol consumption or achieving abstinence from illicit drug use during pregnancy, this review aimed to identify behavior change techniques (BCTs), the smallest, active components of interventions that may be effective. It also aimed to establish the extent that psychosocial-based theories were used to inform intervention design. Methods To identify eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs), five databases were searched electronically from the end search dates of the most recent Cochrane systematic reviews on behavioral interventions for each behavior, until March 2018. Within the RCTs, intervention descriptions were analyzed for BCT content and extent of theory use in the intervention design process and outcome measurements, in each trial, was established. “Effectiveness percentages,” the number of times a BCT had been a component of an effective intervention divided by the total number of interventions it had been used in, were calculated for BCTs used in two or more trials. Results Including all RCTs from the Cochrane reviews, and those published subsequently, nine alcohol and six illicit drug trials were identified. Interventions tested in four alcohol RCTs and no illicit drugs RCTs showed positive results. Subsequent data were extracted for alcohol consumption trials only. Thirteen BCTs showed “potential effectiveness” for alcohol consumption. Six of nine included alcohol trials reported using theory but not extensively. Conclusions Action planning, behavioral contract, prompts/cues, self-talk, offer/direct toward written material, problem solving, feedback on behavior, social support (unspecified), information about health consequences, behavior substitution, assess current readiness and ability to reduce excess alcohol consumption, goal setting (behavior), and tailor interactions appropriately are BCTs that could be useful in helping reduce alcohol consumption among pregnant women.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Düking ◽  
Marie Tafler ◽  
Birgit Wallmann-Sperlich ◽  
Billy Sperlich ◽  
Sonja Kleih

BACKGROUND Decreasing levels of physical activity (PA) increase the incidences of noncommunicable diseases, obesity, and mortality. To counteract these developments, interventions aiming to increase PA are urgently needed. Mobile health (mHealth) solutions such as wearable sensors (wearables) may assist with an improvement in PA. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to examine which behavior change techniques (BCTs) are incorporated in currently available commercial high-end wearables that target users’ PA behavior. METHODS The BCTs incorporated in 5 different high-end wearables (Apple Watch Series 3, Garmin Vívoactive 3, Fitbit Versa, Xiaomi Amazfit Stratos 2, and Polar M600) were assessed by 2 researchers using the BCT Taxonomy version 1 (BCTTv1). Effectiveness of the incorporated BCTs in promoting PA behavior was assessed by a content analysis of the existing literature. RESULTS The most common BCTs were goal setting (behavior), action planning, review behavior goal(s), discrepancy between current behavior and goal, feedback on behavior, self-monitoring of behavior, and biofeedback. Fitbit Versa, Garmin Vívoactive 3, Apple Watch Series 3, Polar M600, and Xiaomi Amazfit Stratos 2 incorporated 17, 16, 12, 11, and 11 BCTs, respectively, which are proven to effectively promote PA. CONCLUSIONS Wearables employ different numbers and combinations of BCTs, which might impact their effectiveness in improving PA. To promote PA by employing wearables, we encourage researchers to develop a taxonomy specifically designed to assess BCTs incorporated in wearables. We also encourage manufacturers to customize BCTs based on the targeted populations.


10.2196/16002 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. e16002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosiane Simeon ◽  
Omar Dewidar ◽  
Jessica Trawin ◽  
Stephanie Duench ◽  
Heather Manson ◽  
...  

Background Social media are an increasingly commonly used platform for delivering health promotion interventions. Although recent research has focused on the effectiveness of social media interventions for health promotion, very little is known about the optimal content within such interventions, and the active ingredients to promote health behavior change using social media are not clear. Identifying which behavior change techniques (BCTs) are reported may help to clarify the content of interventions using a generalizable terminology that may facilitate future intervention development. Objective This study aimed to identify which BCTs are reported in social media interventions for promoting health behavior change in adults. Methods We included 71 studies conducted with adult participants (aged ≥18 years) and for which social media intervention was considered interactive in a Cochrane review of the effectiveness of such interventions. We developed a coding manual informed by the Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy version 1 (BCTTv1) to identify BCTs in the included studies. We identified BCTs in all study arms (including control) and described BCTs in the group and self-directed components of studies. We characterized the dose of delivery for each BCT by low and high intensity. We used descriptive analyses to characterize the reported BCTs. Results Our data consisted of 71 studies published from 2001 to 2017, mainly conducted in high-income countries (n=65). Most studies (n=31) used tailored, interactive websites to deliver the intervention; Facebook was the most used mainstream platform. In developing our coding manual, we adapted some BCTTv1 instructions to better capture unique nuances of how BCTs were operationalized in social media with respect to likes, retweets, smiles, congratulations, and badges. Social support (unspecified), instruction on how to perform the behavior, and credible source were most frequently identified BCTs in intervention arms of studies and group-delivery settings, whereas instruction on how to perform the behavior was most commonly applied in self-directed components of studies, control arms, and individual participant settings. Instruction on how to perform the behavior was also the most frequently reported BCT in both intervention and control arms simultaneously. Instruction on how to perform the behavior, social support (unspecified), self-monitoring of behavior, information about health consequences, and credible source were identified in the top 5 BCTs delivered with the highest intensity. Conclusions This study within a review provides a detailed description of the BCTs and their dose to promote behavior change in web-based, interactive social media interventions. Clarifying active ingredients in social media interventions and the intensity of their delivery may help to develop future interventions that can more clearly build upon the existing evidence.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Riegel ◽  
Heleen Westland ◽  
Paolo Iovino ◽  
Ingrid Barelds ◽  
Joyce Bruins Slot ◽  
...  

Introduction: Self-care requires behavior change in patients and healthcare providers play a pivotal role in supporting those changes. Examination of the behavior change techniques used by providers in self-care interventions can provide insights into how self-care behavior is enhanced in patients with a chronic condition. Objective: To quantify the behavior change techniques used to enhance healthy behavior in self-care interventions for patients with a chronic condition. Methods: Studies from a scoping review (n=233) were reviewed to identify behavior change techniques used in studies testing self-care interventions in adults with nine chronic conditions, most of which were CVDs. All studies were published between January 2008 and January 2019. Nine techniques from the Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy V1 (with 93 consensually agreed, distinct techniques) were selected for review because they are commonly used by a broad range of disciplines and have previously been shown to influence behavior change. Results: The 233 studies represent 59,950 patients, mean age 59.5 (±8.3) years, 44% female. Study sample sizes ranged from 24 to 2,445 patients. Most studies focused on DM2 (n=85; 36%), HTN (n=32; 14%) or HF (n=27; 12%). Most interventions targeted only patients (n=207; 89%). Goal setting (n=113; 48%) and problem solving (n=92; 40%) were the behavior change techniques used predominantly. Action planning, feedback and review of behavioral goals were used in 46-60 (20%-26%) studies and most commonly in patients with DM2 or CAD and rarely in patients with HTN or HF. Information about health consequences was used in 46 (20%) studies. Social support (n=17; 7%) and reminders (n=13; 6%) were rarely used. Conclusions: Few behavior change techniques were specified in the published self-care intervention trials. In future research, behavior change techniques and the associated mechanisms of actions need to be specified to support self-care intervention research.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Brainard ◽  
Mohammad Soltani ◽  
Heather Cole-Lewis ◽  
Claudia Hernandez ◽  
Shawn T. Mason ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND To foster physical activity behavior, technology often incorporates evidence-based behavior change techniques (BCTs). However, a gap exists on how to apply BCTs for optimal behavior change, and do so in time-varying adaptive interventions. OBJECTIVE This study evaluated BCT variations using an adaptive intervention design that randomly assigned participants to a different intervention version based on whether participants met a self-determined physical activity goal. METHODS The study contained three intervention versions (individual pursuit, community comparison, and team competition). Each version included variations of 4 BCTs (goal setting, action planning, feedback, and prompts & cues). The individual pursuit version was the control, while versions two and three received variations of the social competition/comparison BCT. BCTs were delivered via phone app, phone texts, and a Garmin vivofit 3™. Participants who did not increase physical activity in the first 21 days as compared to their baseline were re-randomized into a different intervention version, reassessed at 42 days, and re-randomized again if physical activity did not increase. Ecological momentary assessments were conducted for secondary measures of self-efficacy, barriers, expectations, motivation, mood, social support, and well-being. RESULTS A total 158 adults in central Florida with low to moderate levels of physical activity, were randomized into one of three intervention versions. Based on a subsample analysis of 87 participants, those who received the team competition intervention version first, followed by community comparison, and individual pursuit, saw the greatest increase in their overall physical activity as compared to other intervention orders. In addition, five distinct behavioral pattern subgroups were identified. We also predicted the likelihood of a participant being active or inactive 14 days into observation and with >80% precision. There was also evidence that app usage in the first 21 days of observation was positively associated with physical activity behavior at study conclusion. CONCLUSIONS The way BCTs are designed and the sequence in which they are delivered can impact physical activity behavior. Additional work is needed on determinants of physical activity behavior, as well as longevity of BCT novelty and user engagement. CLINICALTRIAL N/A


Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 714 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Srbely ◽  
Imtisal Janjua ◽  
Andrea Buchholz ◽  
Genevieve Newton

Dairy product consumption is important during childhood, as dairy products provide nutrients to support growth and development. However, a high proportion of children globally are not meeting recommended daily intakes, which may have long-term health implications. Accumulating evidence suggests that interventions aimed at instilling healthy lifestyle habits are most effective when initiated during the preschool years. Therefore, the purpose of the review was to identify the characteristics of effective dairy and/or calcium interventions targeting preschool-aged children. A systematic literature review identified 14 intervention studies published between 1998–2018 addressing dairy/calcium intakes in the preschool population (1.5 to 5 years). Intervention reporting was assessed using intervention intensity, behavior change techniques and Workgroup for Intervention Development and Evaluation Research (WIDER), with the quality of studies evaluated using risk of bias and Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). Five of the 14 studies included in the review reported significant improvements in children’s dairy (4/5) or calcium (1/5) intake. Characteristics that may enable intervention effectiveness include the delivery of interventions in one setting (preschool facility), using specific behavior change techniques (environmental restructuring and teach to use prompts/cues), and targeting both parent and child. Overall, the interventions assessed demonstrated variable success and highlighted the need for developing effective interventions designed to increase dairy and/or calcium intakes in preschool-aged children.


2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (8) ◽  
pp. 708-720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren E Connell ◽  
Rachel N Carey ◽  
Marijn de Bruin ◽  
Alexander J Rothman ◽  
Marie Johnston ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Understanding the mechanisms through which behavior change techniques (BCTs) can modify behavior is important for the development and evaluation of effective behavioral interventions. To advance the field, we require a shared knowledge of the mechanisms of action (MoAs) through which BCTs may operate when influencing behavior. Purpose To elicit expert consensus on links between BCTs and MoAs. Methods In a modified Nominal Group Technique study, 105 international behavior change experts rated, discussed, and rerated links between 61 frequently used BCTs and 26 MoAs. The criterion for consensus was that at least 80 per cent of experts reached agreement about a link. Heat maps were used to present the data relating to all possible links. Results Of 1,586 possible links (61 BCTs × 26 MoAs), 51 of 61 (83.6 per cent) BCTs had a definite link to one or more MoAs (mean [SD] = 1.44 [0.96], range = 1–4), and 20 of 26 (76.9 per cent) MoAs had a definite link to one or more BCTs (mean [SD] = 3.27 [2.91], range = 9). Ninety (5.7 per cent) were identified as “definite” links, 464 (29.2 per cent) as “definitely not” links, and 1,032 (65.1 per cent) as “possible” or “unsure” links. No “definite” links were identified for 10 BCTs (e.g., “Action Planning” and “Behavioural Substitution”) and for six MoAs (e.g., “Needs” and “Optimism”). Conclusions The matrix of links between BCTs and MoAs provides a basis for those developing and synthesizing behavioral interventions. These links also provide a framework for specifying empirical tests in future studies.


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