The LvL UP trial: Protocol for a sequential, multiple assignment, randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of a blended mobile lifestyle intervention.

Background: Blended mobile health (mHealth) interventions - combining self-guided and human support components - could play a major role in preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and common mental disorders (CMDs). This protocol describes a sequential, multiple assignment, randomised trial aimed at (i) evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of LvL UP, an mHealth lifestyle intervention for the prevention of NCDs and CMDs, and (ii) establishing the optimal blended approach in LvL UP that balances effective personalised lifestyle support with scalability.

Methods: LvL UP is a 6-month mHealth holistic intervention targeting physical activity, diet, and emotional regulation.

Can digital health researchers make a difference during the pandemic? Results of the single-arm, chatbot-led Elena+: Care for COVID-19 interventional study.

Background: The current paper details findings from Elena+: Care for COVID-19, an app developed to tackle the collateral damage of lockdowns and social distancing, by offering pandemic lifestyle coaching across seven health areas: anxiety, loneliness, mental resources, sleep, diet and nutrition, physical activity, and COVID-19 information.

Methods: The Elena+ app functions as a single-arm interventional study, with participants recruited predominantly via social media. We used paired samples -tests and within subjects ANOVA to examine changes in health outcome assessments and user experience evaluations over time.

Effective Behavior Change Techniques in Digital Health Interventions for the Prevention or Management of Noncommunicable Diseases: An Umbrella Review.

Background: Despite an abundance of digital health interventions (DHIs) targeting the prevention and management of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), it is unclear what specific components make a DHI effective.

Purpose: This narrative umbrella review aimed to identify the most effective behavior change techniques (BCTs) in DHIs that address the prevention or management of NCDs.

Methods: Five electronic databases were searched for articles published in English between January 2007 and December 2022.

Development of "LvL UP 1.0": a smartphone-based, conversational agent-delivered holistic lifestyle intervention for the prevention of non-communicable diseases and common mental disorders.

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and common mental disorders (CMDs) are the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Lifestyle interventions mobile apps and conversational agents present themselves as low-cost, scalable solutions to prevent these conditions. This paper describes the rationale for, and development of, "LvL UP 1.

Holistic mHealth interventions for the promotion of healthy ageing: protocol for a systematic review.

Introduction: Maintaining physical and mental health is essential for healthy ageing. It can be supported by modifying lifestyle factors such as physical activity and diet. Poor mental health, in turn, contributes to the opposing effect.

Exploring the potential of mobile health interventions to address behavioural risk factors for the prevention of non-communicable diseases in Asian populations: a qualitative study.

Background: Changing lifestyle patterns over the last decades have seen growing numbers of people in Asia affected by non-communicable diseases and common mental health disorders, including diabetes, cancer, and/or depression. Interventions targeting healthy lifestyle behaviours through mobile technologies, including new approaches such as chatbots, may be an effective, low-cost approach to prevent these conditions. To ensure uptake and engagement with mobile health interventions, however, it is essential to understand the end-users' perspectives on using such interventions.

Factors Influencing Adherence to mHealth Apps for Prevention or Management of Noncommunicable Diseases: Systematic Review.

Background: Mobile health (mHealth) apps show vast potential in supporting patients and health care systems with the increasing prevalence and economic costs of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide. However, despite the availability of evidence-based mHealth apps, a substantial proportion of users do not adhere to them as intended and may consequently not receive treatment. Therefore, understanding the factors that act as barriers to or facilitators of adherence is a fundamental concern in preventing intervention dropouts and increasing the effectiveness of digital health interventions.

A Personalized Smartphone-Delivered Just-in-time Adaptive Intervention (JitaBug) to Increase Physical Activity in Older Adults: Mixed Methods Feasibility Study.

Background: Just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAIs) provide real time in-the-moment behavior change support to people when they need it most. JITAIs could be a viable way to provide personalized physical activity (PA) support to older adults in the community. However, it is unclear how feasible it is to remotely deliver a PA intervention through a smartphone to older adults or how acceptable they would find a JITAI targeting PA in everyday life.

Digital Behavior Change Interventions for the Prevention and Management of Type 2 Diabetes: Systematic Market Analysis.

Background: Advancements in technology offer new opportunities for the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes. Venture capital companies have been investing in digital diabetes companies that offer digital behavior change interventions (DBCIs). However, little is known about the scientific evidence underpinning such interventions or the degree to which these interventions leverage novel technology-driven automated developments such as conversational agents (CAs) or just-in-time adaptive intervention (JITAI) approaches.

Corrigendum: Elena+ Care for COVID-19, a Pandemic Lifestyle Care Intervention: Intervention Design and Study Protocol.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.

Elena+ Care for COVID-19, a Pandemic Lifestyle Care Intervention: Intervention Design and Study Protocol.

The current COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is an emergency on a global scale, with huge swathes of the population required to remain indoors for prolonged periods to tackle the virus. In this new context, individuals' health-promoting routines are under greater strain, contributing to poorer mental and physical health. Additionally, individuals are required to keep up to date with latest health guidelines about the virus, which may be confusing in an age of social-media disinformation and shifting guidelines.

Neuromechanics of repeated stepping with external loading in young and older women.

Purpose: An understanding of the neuromechanical responses to bench stepping with external loading is important for exercise prescription, especially in older women who are more at risk than men for disability. This study was designed to describe and compare such responses to repeated bench stepping with external loading between young and older women.

Methods: Eight young (25 ± 2.