PS2 -- How Does Tailoring Work in mHealth? A Systematic Review of Tailored Interventions Using Mobile Devices to Promote Health Behavior Change
Document Type
Event
Abstract
Background: There is mounting evidence for the efficacy of using tailored health messages to promote health-related decision-making and behavior changes. With the proliferation of mobile technology and the advent of smartphone applications, many health communication practitioners have turned to mobile devices as a venue to reach target audiences and promote health behavior change (i.e., mHealth). Yet, despite the strong potential and the increasing use of mobile technologies for tailored health interventions, there is a limited understanding of how tailored programs are being implemented in a mobile environment and of their efficacy. Purpose & Method: Thus, the current study systematically reviewed peer-reviewed interventions published in English and analyzed 24 eligible articles that used experimental or quasi-experimental designs to assess changes in health-related outcomes by way of tailored messages delivered through text messages or mobile applications. Results: We found that the overall evaluation of the tailored messages and interventions were often used as an indicator of the effectiveness of the interventions, whereas the amount of cognitive elaboration—the metric for the processing of the tailored messages—was often not investigated. In addition, the most commonly used tailoring criteria and constructs were found to be consistent with a previous meta-analysis and systematic review in the tailoring health communication literature. Finally, dynamic tailoring afforded by mobile technology was implemented in a limited number of interventions, and the results were mixed. Conclusion: The current review has brought together a systematic sample of tailored health interventions in a mobile environment and demonstrates the potential for such a strategy. This study found that the overall evaluation of the tailored messages and interventions were often used as an indicator of the effectiveness of the interventions, whereas the amount of cognitive elaboration—the metric for the processing of the tailored messages—was often not investigated. This hinders the interpretation of the tailoring effects. In addition, the most commonly used tailoring criteria and constructs were found to be consistent with a previous meta-analysis and systematic review in the tailoring health communication literature, finding that content considerations are not substantially different based on platform, at least at the current time. Finally, dynamic tailoring afforded by mobile technology was implemented in a limited number of interventions, and the results were mixed. This finding highlights that there are features inherent in mobile platforms that may be useful that are currently being underutilized and are still less understood.
Keywords
Pyschology
PS2 -- How Does Tailoring Work in mHealth? A Systematic Review of Tailored Interventions Using Mobile Devices to Promote Health Behavior Change
URC Greatroom
Background: There is mounting evidence for the efficacy of using tailored health messages to promote health-related decision-making and behavior changes. With the proliferation of mobile technology and the advent of smartphone applications, many health communication practitioners have turned to mobile devices as a venue to reach target audiences and promote health behavior change (i.e., mHealth). Yet, despite the strong potential and the increasing use of mobile technologies for tailored health interventions, there is a limited understanding of how tailored programs are being implemented in a mobile environment and of their efficacy. Purpose & Method: Thus, the current study systematically reviewed peer-reviewed interventions published in English and analyzed 24 eligible articles that used experimental or quasi-experimental designs to assess changes in health-related outcomes by way of tailored messages delivered through text messages or mobile applications. Results: We found that the overall evaluation of the tailored messages and interventions were often used as an indicator of the effectiveness of the interventions, whereas the amount of cognitive elaboration—the metric for the processing of the tailored messages—was often not investigated. In addition, the most commonly used tailoring criteria and constructs were found to be consistent with a previous meta-analysis and systematic review in the tailoring health communication literature. Finally, dynamic tailoring afforded by mobile technology was implemented in a limited number of interventions, and the results were mixed. Conclusion: The current review has brought together a systematic sample of tailored health interventions in a mobile environment and demonstrates the potential for such a strategy. This study found that the overall evaluation of the tailored messages and interventions were often used as an indicator of the effectiveness of the interventions, whereas the amount of cognitive elaboration—the metric for the processing of the tailored messages—was often not investigated. This hinders the interpretation of the tailoring effects. In addition, the most commonly used tailoring criteria and constructs were found to be consistent with a previous meta-analysis and systematic review in the tailoring health communication literature, finding that content considerations are not substantially different based on platform, at least at the current time. Finally, dynamic tailoring afforded by mobile technology was implemented in a limited number of interventions, and the results were mixed. This finding highlights that there are features inherent in mobile platforms that may be useful that are currently being underutilized and are still less understood.