Periodic Reminders May Help Improve Healthy Behaviors
May 20, 2009
Periodic prompts and reminders could be an effective strategy for improving healthy behaviors, according to a review of published studies by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The study is the first comprehensive review of the effectiveness of regularly communicated messages on health behavior and is published in the latest issue of the Journal of Medical Internet Research. Funding for the literature review was provided by the Center for a Livable Future.
“The current research suggests that periodic prompts are a valuable, inexpensive tool that health promotion professionals can incorporate into behavioral interventions, although more research is needed,” said Jillian Fry, MPH, lead author of the study and pre-doctoral fellow at the Center for a Livable Future.
Authors came to their conclusion after performing a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed articles examining the use of periodic prompts within health promotion interventions. Using electronic literature searches, 19 articles published between 1988 and 2008 were determined to meet specified criteria. The articles focused on a range of interventions from increasing physical activity to weight loss and improved dietary habits. Out of the 19 articles, 11 reported generally positive results regarding the use of periodic prompts. The remaining 8 studies found mixed results.
The researchers also analyzed the studies for the frequency in which prompts were used, how the prompts were delivered, as well as the level of interaction with the proposed intervention. Many of the studies that focused on online interventions found that personalized messages were more effective than generic reminders.
"Many chronic diseases could be prevented by the choices we make, whether it is better diet, increased activity or to quit smoking. Cost effective ways to help people change those health behaviors are needed,” said senior author, Roni Neff, PhD, MS, research and policy director for the Center for a Livable Future. “New media, like cell phones and social networking sites offer potential to reach people in fresh and exciting ways.”
The review’s findings bolster health behavior change campaigns that use weekly prompts like Healthy Monday, a national campaign to help prevent chronic diseases and sustain healthy behaviors. The Bloomberg School of Public Health provides scientific expertise and guidance to the national Monday Campaigns through projects like Meatless Monday and Healthy Monday.