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Review
. 2023 Jun 20;18(2):162-180.
doi: 10.1177/15598276231180117. eCollection 2024 Mar-Apr.

Health and Wellness Coaching and Sustained Gains: A Rapid Systematic Review

Elizabeth Ahmann  1 , Micah Saviet  2 , Lisa Conboy  3 , Katherine Smith  3 , Barbara Iachini  3 , Ron DeMartin  3
Affiliations
Review

Health and Wellness Coaching and Sustained Gains: A Rapid Systematic Review

Elizabeth Ahmann et al. Am J Lifestyle Med. .

Abstract

The Transtheoretical Model of Change identifies key stages in behavior change, including a maintenance stage occurring when a behavior has been upheld for at least 6 months. Health and wellness coaching has demonstrated support for health behavior change, but maintenance of gains has received little attention. Our rapid systematic literature review characterizes both the research exploring sustained gains with health and wellness coaching and what is known about sustained gains after the completion of a health and wellness coaching engagement. Guided by The Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group "Interim Guidance," we drew 231 studies from the 2018 and 2020 Sforzo et al "Compendium of the health and wellness coaching literature," and "Addendum…" appendices. Initial screening and coding for inclusion and exclusion criteria yielded 28 studies for data extraction. We examined studies across outcome categories (physiological, behavioral, psychological, and health risk assessment) to determine whether outcome measures were: not sustained; partially sustained; fully sustained; or improved from immediate post-intervention to a later follow-up period. Twenty-five of the 28 studies reviewed demonstrated partially, or fully, sustained or improved outcomes in one or more variables studied, with sustained gains demonstrated across outcome categories, strengthening confidence in HWC as a facilitator of lasting change.

Keywords: coaching; health and wellness; maintenance of gains; sustained gains; systematic review.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
PRISMA Flow Diagram
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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