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Text Messaging Interventions for Improvement in Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Youth: Systematic Review

Ludwig, Kim; Arthur, Rosie; Sculthorpe, Nicholas; Fountain, Hollie; Buchan, Duncan S

Authors

Kim Ludwig

Rosie Arthur

Nicholas Sculthorpe

Duncan S Buchan



Abstract

BACKGROUND:
The use of text messages (short message service, SMS) to change physical activity and sedentary behavior in youth is of interest due to the need for novel, more effective intervention approaches. Previous reviews have examined a variety of technology-based interventions and their impact on different health behaviors, but evidence regarding the impact of just SMS on physical activity and sedentary behavior is lacking.

OBJECTIVE:
The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness and use of theory of SMS interventions for improving physical activity and sedentary behavior in youth.

METHODS:
Authors systematically searched electronic databases from March to November 2017. Citations were sifted using additional reviewers, and a qualitative synthesis of eligible studies was conducted using piloted data extraction forms. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to be of a randomized controlled or quasi-experimental design, incorporate SMS, involve adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 years, and assess at least one physical activity or sedentary behavior outcome. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias tool.

RESULTS:
A total of 13 studies reporting 11 interventions were included in the qualitative analysis. Studies included interventions that were conducted in schools, online, or face-to-face. Studies were of high heterogeneity with regard to study duration, participant characteristics, intervention content, and outcome measures. Findings were equivocal with regard to intervention effectiveness for physical activity and sedentary behavior. Overall, 7 interventions resulted in an improvement for physical activity and 6 for sedentary behavior. All studies were judged to be of high risk of bias for at least 1 item.

CONCLUSIONS:
Some studies in this review showed promising results for using SMS to improve physical activity and sedentary behavior in youth. High heterogeneity of design and outcome measures precluded data pooling and conclusions as to which specific intervention elements are linked to increased effectiveness cannot be drawn. The authors propose incorporating the following elements in future studies: specific focus on desired health behavior; mixed-methods design; include long-term follow-up; include self-monitoring, goal setting, and feedback; combine SMS with a mobile app; and send 3 or more SMS text messages per week. More rigorous studies are needed to explore the relationship between intervention effectiveness and specific intervention components such as content and delivery.

Citation

Ludwig, K., Arthur, R., Sculthorpe, N., Fountain, H., & Buchan, D. S. (2018). Text Messaging Interventions for Improvement in Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Youth: Systematic Review. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 6(9), Article e10799. https://doi.org/10.2196/10799

Journal Article Type Review
Acceptance Date Apr 17, 2018
Online Publication Date Sep 17, 2018
Publication Date Sep 17, 2018
Deposit Date Jul 22, 2019
Publicly Available Date Jul 22, 2019
Journal JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Electronic ISSN 2291-5222
Publisher JMIR Publications
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 6
Issue 9
Article Number e10799
DOI https://doi.org/10.2196/10799
Keywords review; exercise; sedentary lifestyle; text messaging; cell phone; telemedicine; adolescent
Public URL http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/1313301
Contract Date Jul 22, 2019

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Publisher Licence URL
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Copyright Statement
©Kim Ludwig, Rosie Arthur, Nicholas Sculthorpe, Hollie Fountain, Duncan S Buchan. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 17.09.2018. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in JMIR mhealth and uhealth, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on http://mhealth.jmir.org/, as well as this copyright and license information must be included.








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