Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42283441›Full record

Trial reportApplied psychology. Health and well-being2026

Theory-based promotion of diet and transportation behavior change to reduce carbon footprint among students: Randomized parallel trial of the GROW app.

Dario Baretta, Carole Lynn Rüttimann, Jennifer Inauen

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Applied psychology. Health and well-being, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Dario BarettaInstitute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-2866-3290
Carole Lynn RüttimannInstitute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0001-9925-4972
Jennifer InauenInstitute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-7884-3222

Funding

Faculty of Human Sciences of the University of Bern
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Adopting a low-emission diet and choosing low-emission transportation modes are among the most effective strategies for mitigating one's individual impact on climate. However, interventions targeting these behaviors often fall short because they focus primarily on motivation, neglecting volitional processes. Guided by the Health Action Process Approach, this double-blind randomized parallel trial tested whether a digital intervention addressing both motivational and volitional determinants of behavior was more effective in reducing diet- and transportation-related carbon footprints than an intervention addressing motivation only. The intervention was delivered via the GROW app, which included two versions: a motivational version (goal setting and feedback) and a motivational + volitional version (additional techniques such as action planning and problem solving). Participants (N = 226; 97% students) used either version of the app for 5 weeks, reporting daily animal-based food consumption (e.g., red meat and poultry) and transportation behaviors (e.g., bike and car). Psychological determinants (e.g., action planning and action control) were measured weekly. Multilevel models showed an overall reduction in diet-related carbon footprint (B = -0.1, 95% CI [-0.02, -0.01]); however, this decrease did not differ between intervention groups. No changes emerged for transportation-related or total carbon footprints. Action planning and action control emerged as the strongest correlates of lower diet-related carbon footprint. The findings show preliminary indication of the efficacy of digital behavior change interventions for reducing diet-related carbon footprint. Structural measures addressing opportunities and barriers in the physical environment may be needed to reduce transportation-related emissions.

Indexed as

Carbon FootprintDietHealth BehaviorHealth PromotionMobile ApplicationsMotivationTransportationAdolescentAdultDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansMaleStudentsYoung Adultbehavior changedigital interventionHealth Action Process Approachindividual carbon footprintmitigation behaviors

Identifiers

PMID42283441
PMCPMC13262045

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.