Background: Research has shown that web-based interventions concerning mental health can be effective, although there is a broad range in effect sizes. Why some interventions are more effective than others is not clear. Persuasive technology is one of the aspects which has a positive influence on changing attitude and/or behavior, and can contribute to better outcomes. According to the Persuasive Systems Design Model there are various principles that can be deployed. It is unknown whether the number and combinations of principles used in a web-based intervention affect the effectiveness. Another issue in web-based interventions is adherence. Little is known about the relationship of adherence on the effectiveness of web-based interventions.
Objective: This study examines whether there is a relationship between the number and combinations of persuasive technology principles used in web-based interventions and the effectiveness. Also the influence of adherence on effectiveness of web-based interventions is investigated.
Methods: This study elaborates on the systematic review by [37] and therefore the articles were derived from that study. Only web-based interventions were included that were intended to be used on more than one occasion and studies were excluded when no information on adherence was provided. 48 interventions targeted at mental health were selected for the current study. A within-group (WG) and between-group (BG) meta-analysis were performed and subsequently subgroup analyses regarding the relationship between the number and combinations of persuasive technology principles and effectiveness. The influence of adherence on the effectiveness was examined through a meta-regression analysis.
Results: For the WG meta-analysis 40 treatment groups were included. The BG meta-analysis included 19 studies. The mean pooled effect size in the WG meta-analysis was large and significant (Hedges' g=0.94), while for the BG meta-analysis this was moderate to large and significant (Hedges' g=0.78) in favor of the web-based interventions. With regard to the number of persuasive technology principles, the differences between the effect sizes in the subgroups were significant in the WG subgroup analyses for the total number of principles and for the number of principles in the three categories Primary Task Support, Dialogue Support, and Social Support. In the BG subgroup analyses only the difference in Primary Task Support was significant. An increase in the total number of principles and Dialogue Support principles yielded larger effect sizes in the WG subgroup analysis, indicating that more principles lead to better outcomes. The number of principles in the Primary Task Support (WG and BG) and Social Support (WG) did not show an upward trend but had varying effect sizes. We identified a number of combinations of principles that were more effective, but only in the WG analyses. The association between adherence and effectiveness was not significant.
Conclusions: There is a relationship between the number of persuasive technology principles and the effectiveness of web-based interventions concerning mental health, however this does not always mean that implementing more principles leads to better outcomes. Regarding the combinations of principles, specific principles seemed to work well together (e.g. tunneling and tailoring; reminders and similarity; social learning and comparison), but adding another principle can diminish the effectiveness (e.g. tunneling, tailoring and reduction). In this study, an increase in adherence was not associated with larger effect sizes. The findings of this study can help developers to decide which persuasive principles to include to make web-based interventions more persuasive.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2016.04.005 | DOI Listing |
Nutrients
December 2024
Health Systems and Equity, Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Level 2, 5 Arnold Street, Box Hill, VIC 3128, Australia.
: We aimed to review the effect of lifestyle interventions in women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) based on the participants and intervention characteristics. : We systematically searched seven databases for RCTs of lifestyle interventions published up to 24 July 2024. We included 30 studies that reported the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or body weight.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNutrients
December 2024
Medical Statistics Unit, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences L. Sacco, "Luigi Sacco" University Hospital, University of Milan, 20157 Milan, Italy.
Background/objectives: Lifestyle (in particular, nutrition and exercise) determines present and future youths' health. The goal of the present study was to identify specific student groups who deserve precise lifestyle improvement interventions, tailored to their characteristics.
Methods: An anonymous web-based questionnaire to assess lifestyle was posted on the websites of two main Italian Academic Institutions, and 9423 students voluntarily participated.
Medicina (Kaunas)
December 2024
International Research Collaboration-Oral Health and Equity, School of Allied Health, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
: In Saudi Arabia, persons with disabilities (PWDs) face considerable oral health challenges, including a higher prevalence of dental caries and gingival inflammation, which adversely affects their oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). This population experiences distinct and substantial barriers in accessing adequate dental care. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to quantify disparities in OHRQoL between PWDs and individuals without disabilities in Saudi Arabia, focusing on caries and gingivitis prevalence, and to identify specific areas for intervention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Clin Med
December 2024
Faculty of Rehabilitation, Jozef Pilsudski University of Physical Education, 00-968 Warszawa, Poland.
Deformities of the foot represent a significant clinical problem. Toe separators constitute an available tool used in various forms of conservative treatment, primarily used for the correction of hallux valgus, but also for improvement in the condition of neurological patients, e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Clin Med
December 2024
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Bon Secours Mercy Health, Toledo, OH 43608, USA.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition that alters the quality of life of patients. A variety of dietary interventions have been introduced to address this debilitating condition. The low-FODMAP diet (LFD), gluten-free diet (GFD), and Mediterranean diet are examples showing efficacy.
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