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Meta-Analysis
. 2021 Jul;22 Suppl 4(Suppl 4):e13258.
doi: 10.1111/obr.13258. Epub 2021 May 5.

Effective behavior change techniques to promote physical activity in adults with overweight or obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Eliana Carraça  1 , Jorge Encantado  2 , Francesca Battista  3 , Kristine Beaulieu  4 , John Blundell  4 , Luca Busetto  5   6 , Marleen van Baak  7 , Dror Dicker  5   8 , Andrea Ermolao  3 , Nathalie Farpour-Lambert  5   9 , Adriyan Pramono  7 , Euan Woodward  5 , Alice Bellicha  10   11 , Jean-Michel Oppert  12
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Effective behavior change techniques to promote physical activity in adults with overweight or obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Eliana Carraça et al. Obes Rev. 2021 Jul.

Abstract

Multicomponent behavior change interventions are typically used in weight management, but results are largely heterogeneous and modest. Determining which techniques (behavior change technique [BCTs]) are more effective in changing behavior is thus required. This study aimed to identify the most effective BCTs for increasing physical activity (PA) in digital and face-to-face behavior change interventions in adults with overweight/obesity. Four databases were searched for eligible studies until October 2019. BCTs were coded using BCTTv1 and MBCT taxonomies. Sixty-two RCTs were included. Meta-regressions were performed to explore BCTs' moderating role. Five BCTs showed significant moderator effects on PA in digital interventions: goal setting behavior, goal setting outcome, graded tasks, social incentive, and self-monitoring of behavior (adjusted R2 's = 0.15-0.51). One BCT showed significant moderator effects on PA in face-to-face interventions, behavioral practice and rehearsal (adjusted R2 = 0.22). Multivariate and sensitivity analysis generally led to similar findings. Effective BCTs for increasing PA in adults with overweight/obesity in digital and face-to-face interventions seem to differ. Evidence suggests that using goal setting, social incentive, and graded tasks might help improve PA in digital interventions while avoiding inconsistent self-monitoring of behavior. In face-to-face interventions, prompting behavioral practice and rehearsal might lead to better PA outcomes. Still, further studies are needed. Implications of the current findings are discussed.

Keywords: BCTs; obesity; overweight; physical activity.

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Conflict of interest statement

No conflict of interest statement.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Systematic review flow diagram
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Forest plot representing all active arms included in the meta‐analysis. Digital arms are depicted on top and face‐to‐face arms on the bottom, organized by type of PA measure (starting with objective PA and then self‐reported PA) and in descending order, from the highest to the lowest effect size. Three pooled effect sizes are depicted: in gray, for digital interventions and for face‐to‐face interventions; in black, for the overall interventions
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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