What goes on in digital behaviour change interventions for weight loss maintenance targeting physical activity: A scoping review

Jorge Encantado; António L Palmeira; Carolina Silva; Falko F Sniehotta; R James Stubbs; Maria João Gouveia; Pedro J Teixeira; Berit L Heitmann; Marta M Marques

doi:10.1177/20552076221129089

What goes on in digital behaviour change interventions for weight loss maintenance targeting physical activity: A scoping review

Digit Health. 2022 Nov 6:8:20552076221129089. doi: 10.1177/20552076221129089. eCollection 2022 Jan-Dec.

Authors

Jorge Encantado^{1

2}, António L Palmeira³, Carolina Silva⁴, Falko F Sniehotta^{5

6}, R James Stubbs⁷, Maria João Gouveia², Pedro J Teixeira¹, Berit L Heitmann^{8

9}, Marta M Marques^{4

10}

Affiliations

¹ Centro Interdisciplinar para o Estudo da Performance Humana (CIPER), Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Cruz Quebrada, Portugal.
² APPsyCI - Applied Psychology Research Center Capabilities & Inclusion, ISPA - Instituto Universitário, Lisboa, Portugal.
³ Centro de Investigação em Desporto, Educação Física, Exercício e Saúde (CIDEFES), Universidade Lusófona, Lisboa, Portugal.
⁴ Trinity College Dublin, ADAPT SFI Research Centre & Trinity Centre for Practice and Healthcare Innovation, College Green, Dublin, Ireland.
⁵ NIHR Policy Research Unit Behavioural Science, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Institute of Health & Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK.
⁶ Department of Public Health, Preventive and Social Medicine Center for Preventive Medicine and Digital Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim Medical Faculty, Mannheim, Germany.
⁷ School of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
⁸ Research Unit for Dietary Studies at The Parker Institute Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, part of the Copenhagen University Hospital - The Capital Region, Copenhagen, Denmark.
⁹ The Department of Public Health, Section for General Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
¹⁰ Comprehensive Health Research Centre, NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.

Abstract

Objective: To identify the core components of digital behaviour change interventions for weight loss maintenance targeting physical activity, in terms of: (i) behaviour change techniques, (ii) mechanisms of action, (iii) modes of delivery, (iv) dose and (v) tailoring/personalization. In addition, the links between these components were investigated.

Methods: A literature search was performed in five electronic databases: PubMed, Embase, CINHAL, PsycINFO and Web of Science. Two reviewers independently screened the identified articles and extracted data related with the study characteristics and behaviour change techniques, mechanism of action, mode of delivery, dose, and tailoring, using standardized classifications whenever available (e.g. behaviour change techniques taxonomy).

Results: Seventeen articles reporting 11 original studies were selected. Two studies were protocols, 9 studies presented results for weight change and all but one showed no significant differences between the intervention and control groups. Eight studies (73%) provided adequate information on behaviour change techniques. Five studies (45%) provided partial information about how the behaviour change techniques were linked to mechanisms of action, and only one study (0.9%) described these links for all the techniques. Around half of the studies reported the modes through which behaviour change techniques were delivered. Descriptions of dose were present in most studies, but with minimal information. The use of tailoring or personalization approaches was mentioned in eight studies (73%), but descriptions of what was tailored and how were minimal.

Conclusions: The compilation of information regarding intervention components was difficult due to the lack of information and systematization in reporting across papers. This is particularly true for the reporting of the links between behaviour change techniques and the other core intervention components. This information is crucial to help us understand in the context of behaviour change interventions what works or does not work, how it works and why.

Keywords: Health behaviour; digital technology; exercise; physical activity; review; weight loss maintenance.

Publication types

Review