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Review
. 2020 Oct 15;17(20):7488.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17207488.

The Promotion of Eating Behaviour Change through Digital Interventions

Yang Chen  1 , Federico J A Perez-Cueto  1 , Agnès Giboreau  2 , Ioannis Mavridis  3 , Heather Hartwell  4
Affiliations
Review

The Promotion of Eating Behaviour Change through Digital Interventions

Yang Chen et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Diet-related chronic disease is a global health epidemic giving rise to a high incidence of morbidity and mortality. With the rise of the digital revolution, there has been increased interest in using digital technology for eating behavioural change as a mean of diet-related chronic disease prevention. However, evidence on digital dietary behaviour change is relatively scarce. To address this problem, this review considers the digital interventions currently being used in dietary behaviour change studies. A literature search was conducted in databases like PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Medline, and PsycInfo. Among 119 articles screened, 15 were selected for the study as they met all the inclusion criteria according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) search strategy. Four primary digital intervention methods were noted: use of personal digital assistants, use of the internet as an educational tool, use of video games and use of mobile phone applications. The efficiency of all the interventions increased when coupled with tailored feedback and counselling. It was established that the scalable and sustainable properties of digital interventions have the potential to bring about adequate changes in the eating behaviour of individuals. Further research should concentrate on the appropriate personalisation of the interventions, according to the requirements of the individuals, and proper integration of behaviour change techniques to motivate long-term adherence.

Keywords: behaviour change; digital health; digital interventions; eating behaviour; health promotion.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow diagram showing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) strategy used to search the literature.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Risk of bias graph: risk assessment across all included studies.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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