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Review
. 2023 Aug 25;7(1):e190.
doi: 10.1017/cts.2023.618. eCollection 2023.

Optimizing adaptive stepped-care interventions to change adults' health behaviors: A systematic review

McKenzie K Roddy  1   2 , Angela F Pfammatter  3 , Lindsay S Mayberry  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Optimizing adaptive stepped-care interventions to change adults' health behaviors: A systematic review

McKenzie K Roddy et al. J Clin Transl Sci. .

Abstract

Chronic diseases are ubiquitous and costly in American populations. Interventions targeting health behavior change to manage chronic diseases are needed, but previous efforts have fallen short of producing meaningful change on average. Adaptive stepped-care interventions, that tailor treatment based on the needs of the individual over time, are a promising new area in health behavior change. We therefore conducted a systematic review of tests of adaptive stepped-care interventions targeting health behavior changes for adults with chronic diseases. We identified 9 completed studies and 13 research protocols testing adaptive stepped-care interventions for health behavior change. The most common health behaviors targeted were substance use, weight management, and smoking cessation. All identified studies test intermediary tailoring for treatment non-responders via sequential multiple assignment randomized trials (SMARTs) or singly randomized trials (SRTs); none test baseline tailoring. From completed studies, there were few differences between embedded adaptive interventions and minimal differences between those classified as treatment responders and non-responders. In conclusion, updates to this work will be needed as protocols identified here publish results. Future research could explore baseline tailoring variables, apply methods to additional health behaviors and target populations, test tapering interventions for treatment responders, and consider adults' context when adapting interventions.

Keywords: SMART; Systematic review; adaptive interventions; decision rule; health behavior.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Systematic review inclusion flow diagram.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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