A meta-analytic review of eHealth interventions for pediatric health promoting and maintaining behaviors

Abstract

Objective: The current study quantitatively evaluated the impact of eHealth interventions on pediatric health promoting and maintaining behaviors believed to impact the development or worsening of a physical disease and their associated outcomes.

Method: PsycINFO, PUBMED/MEDLINE, Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), and reference sections of identified articles were searched.

Results: An omnibus weighted mean effect size for all identified eHealth interventions revealed a small, but significant, effect (mean d = .118, 95% confidence interval [CI] = .066-.171). However, when considered independently, educational interventions demonstrated no significant effect on pediatric health behavior or health outcomes. Behavioral eHealth interventions produced relatively homogeneous effects that were small but significantly different from zero (mean d = .354, 95% CI = .232-.475).

Conclusion: eHealth interventions that incorporate behavioral methods (e.g., self-monitoring, goal setting, immediate feedback, contingency management) produce larger effect sizes for health behaviors and their associated outcomes than interventions that rely solely on education.