ReviewDigital health
Behaviour change techniques in eHealth interventions for older, frail, or sarcopenic adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Review in Digital health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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.
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
Background: Behaviour change techniques (BCTs) are key components of eHealth physical activity interventions. They may be especially important for older adults and individuals with frailty or sarcopenia, who often face additional barriers to sustaining physical activity. This review aimed to identify BCTs used in eHealth physical activity trials and examine which techniques are associated with greater effectiveness. Methods: Six databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, CENTRAL, PsycINFO, and Scopus) were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published up to 2024. Eligible studies evaluated eHealth physical activity interventions delivered to older adults (mean age ≥60 years) or adults with frailty or sarcopenia. Trials delivered exclusively through virtual reality, wearable devices, or telephone-based modalities were excluded. Random-effects meta-analysis estimated pooled effects on physical activity, with subgroup analyses examining differences according to BCTs reported and behavioural theory. Completion, adherence, and adverse events were summarized descriptively. Results: Eighty-seven studies met inclusion criteria, and 53 contributed to the meta-analysis. eHealth interventions produced a small positive effect on physical activity (standardized mean difference = 0.22, 95% confidence interval: 0.13 to 0.31). Completion was generally high and adherence moderate, with few reported adverse events. The most frequently used BCTs were feedback on behaviour, goal setting, social support, self-monitoring, and prompts/cues. Among these BCTs, all were non-significant, with social support (unspecified) having a p=0.05. Conclusions: eHealth interventions yield modest improvements in physical activity among older adults, although evidence specific to frailty and sarcopenia remains limited. Further research is needed to better understand the role of social support and other BCTs in eHealth physical activity interventions among older adults. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42025641608.
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Registered trials
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.