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Efficacy of text messaging-based interventions for health promotion: A meta-analysis

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  • Head, Katharine J.
  • Noar, Seth M.
  • Iannarino, Nicholas T.
  • Grant Harrington, Nancy

Abstract

This meta-analysis investigated the efficacy of text messaging-based health promotion interventions. Nineteen randomized controlled trials conducted in 13 countries met inclusion criteria and were coded on a variety of participant, intervention, and methodological moderators. Meta-analytic procedures were used to compute and aggregate effect sizes. The overall weighted mean effect size representing the impact of these interventions on health outcomes was d = .329 (95% CI = .274, .385; p < .001). This effect size was statistically heterogeneous (Q18 = 55.60, p < .001, I2 = 67.62), and several variables significantly moderated the effects of interventions. Smoking cessation and physical activity interventions were more successful than interventions targeting other health outcomes. Message tailoring and personalization were significantly associated with greater intervention efficacy. No significant differences were found between text-only interventions and interventions that included texting plus other components. Interventions that used an individualized or decreasing frequency of messages over the course of the intervention were more successful than interventions that used a fixed message frequency. We discuss implications of these results for health promotion interventions that use text messaging.

Suggested Citation

  • Head, Katharine J. & Noar, Seth M. & Iannarino, Nicholas T. & Grant Harrington, Nancy, 2013. "Efficacy of text messaging-based interventions for health promotion: A meta-analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 41-48.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:97:y:2013:i:c:p:41-48
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.08.003
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    2. Mary Clare Hano & Christina L. Baghdikian & Steven Prince & Elisa Lazzarino & Bryan Hubbell & Elizabeth Sams & Susan Stone & Alison Davis & Wayne E. Cascio, 2019. "Illuminating Stakeholder Perspectives at the Intersection of Air Quality Health Risk Communication and Cardiac Rehabilitation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-14, September.
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    4. Joël Cariolle & David A Carroll, 2022. "The Use of Digital for Public Service Provision in Sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers hal-03004535, HAL.
    5. Abu Siddique & Tabassum Rahman & Debayan Pakrashi & Asad Islam & Firoz Ahmed, 2020. "Raising COVID-19 Awareness in Rural Communities: A Randomized Experiment in Bangladesh and India," Munich Papers in Political Economy 09, Munich School of Politics and Public Policy and the School of Management at the Technical University of Munich.
    6. Berli, Corina & Stadler, Gertraud & Inauen, Jennifer & Scholz, Urte, 2016. "Action control in dyads: A randomized controlled trial to promote physical activity in everyday life," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 89-97.
    7. Hernández-Agramonte, Juan Manuel & Namen, Olga & Näslund-Hadley, Emma & Biehl, Maria Loreto, 2024. "Supporting early childhood development remotely: Experimental evidence from SMS messages," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    8. Xenia Fischer & Lars Donath & Kimberly Zwygart & Markus Gerber & Oliver Faude & Lukas Zahner, 2019. "Coaching and Prompting for Remote Physical Activity Promotion: Study Protocol of a Three-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial (Movingcall)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-18, January.
    9. Johnson, Blair T. & Acabchuk, Rebecca L., 2018. "What are the keys to a longer, happier life? Answers from five decades of health psychology research," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 218-226.
    10. Julia A Dalton & Dianne Rodger & Michael Wilmore & Sal Humphreys & Andrew Skuse & Claire T Roberts & Vicki L Clifton, 2018. "The Health-e Babies App for antenatal education: Feasibility for socially disadvantaged women," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(5), pages 1-18, May.
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    12. James R. Meldrum & Hannah Brenkert-Smith & Patricia A. Champ & Jamie Gomez & Hilary Byerly & Lilia Falk & Christopher M. Barth, 2021. "Would you like to know more? The effect of personalized wildfire risk information and social comparisons on information-seeking behavior in the wildland–urban interface," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 106(3), pages 2139-2161, April.
    13. Proksch, Dorian & Busch-Casler, Julia & Haberstroh, Marcus Max & Pinkwart, Andreas, 2019. "National health innovation systems: Clustering the OECD countries by innovative output in healthcare using a multi indicator approach," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 169-179.
    14. Harrington, Nancy Grant & Scott, Allison M. & Spencer, Elizabeth A., 2020. "Working toward evidence-based guidelines for cost-of-care conversations between patients and physicians: A systematic review of the literature," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).

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