Spreadsheet: 1d5e1192-3da1-4ea3-a1a5-b481f753b75a
Sheet: Sheet1

 | Study Characteristics |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | Prompt Characteristics |  |  |  |  | Findings
First author, Year, Ref. no. | N | Health Behavior | Study Population | Intervention Duration | Study Design | E-health | Compa-rison Group | Follow Up | Process Eval | Additional Intervention Components | Prompt Frequency | Prompt Medium | Prompt Purpose | Tailoring | Feedback | Level of Interaction | Participant Experience | Key Behavioral Findings | Rating
Abroms 2012 | 23 | smoking | daily-smoking university students aged 18-23 | 4 weeks | observational, single group, pretest-posttest; set up to test effect of a text message intervention on smoking cessation with texts sent around 3 protocols corresponding to pre-quit, post-quit, and not-quit phases | yes | no | no | yes | automated unidirectional e-mails reinforcing information from texts, web portal with quit information,  goal setting | 3-25 times weekly (phase dependent) | text messages | content delivery and support | yes, by  participant name, quit date, gender, reasons for quitting, money saved, social support, smoking triggers, and use of smoking medication | yes | association not able to be determined; almost half of participants stopped responding to texts after the arrival of proposed quit date | participants read e-mails less frequently than text messages; most popular feature was the tracking of cigarettes smoked on previous day set against goal; no participants withdrew from the study | all participants made one quit attempt post-enrollment; only 14.3% reported not smoking at 4 week follow up | 5
Abroms, 2008 | 83 | smoking | daily-smoking university students | 6 months | feasibility study, randomized, two groups, evaluated by 7 day point prevalence abstinence; set up to examine the feasibility of an e-mail based program (X-Pack)  to encourage smoking cessation as compared to brief in-person counseling | yes | no | no | yes | 15 minute in-person counseling session, social support, quitting cards, motivating slide rule, cigarette substitutes | weekly for first month, monthly thereafter | e-mail | counseling follow-up after 15 min counseling session | yes, by participant's reasons for smoking, triggers, quit data, and other baseline information | no | n/a | participants rated liking program a 3.3 out of 5, and 4.1 out of 5 for the likelihood of recommending the program to friends | intervention group participants more likely to report quit attempt and to have used program recommended strategies to cope with cravings | 7
Aitsallo 2012 | 241 | PA | adult office based employees | 6 months | randomized, two groups, pretest-posttest; set up to evaluate a walking intervention consisting of pedometer, walking logs, and monthly e-mails in office settings compared to control group | yes | yes | yes | yes | walking leaflets, pedometers, log books | monthly | e-mail | content delivery and encouragement of tailored step goals | yes, step goals tailored based on individual's baseline activity | no | based on phone interviews with participants, an estimated time of 1/2 and hr to 2.6 hours was spent on the study | drop out rate, especially at 6 months, detrimentally affected study adoption aims | at 6 and 12 months follow-up, the intervention achieved only modest differences between intervention and control groups in using stairs and walking for leisure | 10
[NAME] | 23 | diabetes management | inner city adults with poorly controlled diabetes | 3 weeks | proof of concept, prospective, single group, pretest-posttest; set up to test the effect of daily text messages on promotion of knowledge, health eating, exercise, self-efficacy and medication adherence; texts sent around 5 themes: educate/motivate, medication reminder, healthy living challenge, trivia, and phone link | yes | no | no | yes | phone number to call to receive free gift for diabetes management | 3 times daily (avg.) | text messages (English/Spanish) | content delivery, medication reminders, encouragement | no | no | n/a | high satisfaction with 90% of participants stating they would like to continue the program and 100% willing to recommend program to others; 90% stated medium was effective and that they liked messages every day of the week | participants reported increased fruit and vegetable intake, exercise, and foot checks compared to before intervention; 70% of participants completed at least 4 out of 6 healthy challenges | 5
Block 2008 | 787 | diet or PA | non-medical HMO employees | 4 months | randomized, two groups, pretest-posttest; set up to test the effect of weekly e-mails in increasing PA or FVC, or reducing saturated and trans fat intake. | yes | yes | no | yes | user home page, goal-setting and tracker, chat room, simulation tool | varies (a total of 25 contacts over study period) | e-mail | content-delivery, weekly goals | yes, by chosen behavior (PA or diet), children in the home, cooking habits, PA location preferences, specific foods, goals perceived as achievable | yes | n/a | tailored tips identified as "somewhat" or "very" helpful by 68% of participants; chat room infrequently used | significantly greater likelihood of improved self-assessed health status in the intervention group; intervention group also saw improvements in self-efficacy towards changing diet | 9
Borland 2012 | 3530 | smoking | smokers and recent quitters (age range unclear) | 7 months | randomized, five groups, evaluated by 6-month sustained abstinence; set up to compare the impact on smoking cessation of delivering (1) internet delivered personal advice (only); (2) tailored text messages (only); (3) both programs or; (4) a choice of all three programs compared to a minimal treatment control group | yes | yes | no | yes | n/a | peaks at entry, varies by quit attempt (specific frequency unclear) | [NAME] messaging | content delivery, advice, encouragement | yes, by stage/perspective on change, quit date, time quit, years smoked, have children, live with non-smokers, sex, age | yes | 42.5% of those offered an intervention used it to the study's criterion level, 14.6% tried it, and 43.0% did not use it. | not evaluated | study failed to find clear significant effects between the intervention conditions and the control, possibly due to low rates of intervention uptake, contaminating effects of use of alternative interventions by controls, and inadequate power | 8
Brendryen 2008a | 396 | smoking | daily smokers aged 18 or older | 12 months | randomized, two groups, evaluated by self-reported 7-day abstinence; set up to compare the effect of and internet and cellphone delivered smoking cessation program compared to control group which received 44-page self-help booklet | yes | yes | no | yes | voluntary free nicotine replacement therapy, diary, craving helpline | varies by quitting phase and prompt medium | day specific webpages, e-mail, text messages, interactive voice response | content delivery, awareness, encouragement | no | yes | n/a | three subjects withdrew because they felt the program was too intrusive; 48.2% of participants found the intervention 'helpful' and 44.7% found it 'very helpful' | abstinence rates significantly higher for intervention group than control at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months (ratio of abstinence similar at each time point) | 8
Brendryen 2008b | 290 | smoking | daily smokers aged 18 or older | 12 months | randomized, two groups, evaluated by self-reported 7-day abstinence; set up to compare the effect of and internet and cellphone delivered smoking cessation program compared to control group which received 44-page self-help booklet | yes | yes | no | no | diary, craving helpline | varies by quitting phase and prompt medium | day specific webpages, e-mail, text messages, interactive voice response | content delivery, awareness, encouragement | no | yes | n/a | not evaluated | abstinence rates significantly higher for intervention group than control at 1, 3, 6 months, and marginally significant at 12 months; lack of significance due to subjects in the control condition performing a second quit attempt, not due to intervention group relapse | 9
[NAME] | 36 | PA | women aged 25-54 | 6 weeks | feasibility, single group, pretest-posttest; set up to assess the feasibility of a minimal contact intervention conducted through e-mail to promote walking in sedentary women | yes | no | no | yes | pedometer and corresponding step logs, weekly goal setting, three commercial brochures | weekly | e-mail | content delivery (strategies) | no | no | n/a | not evaluated | preliminary evidence showed that participants significantly increased walking minutes post-intervention (median 55 min/wk at baseline to median of 245 min/wk post-intervention) | 4
[NAME] 2007 | 557 | [NAME] protection | adult office-based employees | 18 weeks | randomized, three groups, pretest-posttest; set up to compare the effect of providing UV forecasts and/or UV forecasts coupled with behavioral prompts versus standard weather forecasts on sun protection behaviors | yes | yes | no | yes | n/a | weekly | e-mail | delivery of UV forecasts, protective recommendations | yes, by first name | no | n/a | not evaluated | sun protection behaviors and reported sunburn did not differ for participants receiving UV forecasts (with or without behavioral prompts) compared to those receiving standard forecasts | 9
Faridi 2008 | 30 | diabetes management | adults aged 18 or older with Type II diabetes | 3 months | feasibility, quasi-experimental, two groups, pretest-posttest; set up to test the effect of tailored text messages on diabetes self-care activities (SDSCA) | yes | yes | no | yes | glucometer, pedometer | daily | text messages | feedback and reminders | yes, by feedback from glucometer and pedometer | yes | most subjects did not adhere to intervention (only 25% through 75% of the study duration) | low adherence attributed to lack of user-friendly interface and inexperience with pedometers and mobile phone use; focus groups of patients stressed intervention could enhance self-management with technological improvements | intervention did not affect any clinical outcomes to a statistically significant level; produced significant changes in self-efficacy | 7
Fjeldsoe 2010 | 88 | PA | post-natal women | 12 weeks | randomized, two groups, pre-post interviews; set up to examine the effect of text message intervention on reported exercise (at least 30 mins) and duration on post-natal women | yes | yes | no | yes | in-person PA goal setting consultation, goal-setting magnet; post-trial participant interviews | 3-5 weekly to participant; 2 weekly to nominated support person | text messages | content delivery (strategies), goal checking | yes, by first name | yes | n/a | participants felt personal connection to behavioral counselor and appreciated that intervention was 'mother-centered' rather than focused on their children; attrition most likely due to assessment burden (baseline, 6 week, and 13 week follow up) | participants in intervention group increased frequency of PA and walking for exercise frequency at 13 weeks post-intervention | 8
Free 2011 | 5800 | smoking | smokers aged 16 or older willing to quit in next month | 31 weeks | randomized, two groups, posttest; set up to test effect of a text message-based smoking cessation intervention | yes | yes | no | no | n/a | 5 messages daily for 5 weeks, 3 weekly thereafter | text messages | content delivery (strategies), encouragement | yes, by demographic and other information provided at baseline | yes | n/a | not evaluated | biochemically verified continuous abstinence significantly increased in intervention group | 9
Gabriele 2011 | 104 | diet and PA | overweight adults | 12 weeks | randomized, three groups, pretest-posttest; set up to test the effect of directive versus non directive support on weight loss through weekly lessons and feedback; lower intensity intervention for control group | yes | yes | no | no | n/a | bi-weekly | e-mail | feedback | yes, by support type | yes | n/a | no differences in participant reporting between groups | participants in the directive supportive condition experienced a greater decrease in weight and waist circumference than nondirective or minimal support conditions; participants across conditions lost an average of 8.53 pounds | 9
Hageman 2005 | 31 | PA | women aged 50-69 | 3 months | randomized, two groups, pretest-posttest; set up to compare the effect of tailored newsletter versus untailored newsletters | yes | yes | no | yes | n/a | monthly | newsletter | content delivery | yes, by responses to baseline assessment (self-reported PA, benefits and barriers to activity, and self-efficacy and initial goals for activity) | no | tailored versus standard messaging results inconclusive | 50% of participants indicated that the newsletters were helpful in changing PA; 53% reported they would not have made changes without newsletter information | self-reported PA did not increase for either groups though specific biomarkers did improve (increased flexibility for both groups, maximal oxygen consumption and percent body fat  decreased in standard group, but no effect with intervention group); | 9
Haug 2009 | 174 | smoking | daily smokers | 3 months | randomized, three groups, pretest-posttest; set up to examine the effect of a low-intensity SMS-based intervention versus a higher intensity intervention versus no intervention | yes | yes | no | yes | SMS craving helpline | 1 or 3 weekly | text messages | stage of change assessment, feedback | yes, by baseline assessment and stage of change | yes | no difference in smoking variables between low and high intensity interventions | high participation and retention rates suggest SMS smoking cessation interventions are attractive for young adults | preliminary results show no difference in groups in cigarettes smoke, quit attempts, stage of change, self-efficacy, or decisional balance | 9
Joo 2007 | 927 | diet and PA | adults | 12 weeks | observational, single group, pretest-posttest; set up to examine the effect of text messaging and informational brochures regarding exercise and nutritional information on waist circumference | yes | no | no | yes | n/a | weekly | text messages, information brochures | content delivery, recommendations | yes, individually prescribed amounts and types of food | no | n/a | the majority of participants who completed the program were satisfied with the effectiveness of text messaging and information brochures | over two-thirds of subjects experienced a reduction in waist circumference of 5-7.5 centimeters | 4
Kim 2013 | 36 | PA | African-Americans aged 60-85 | 6 weeks | randomized, two groups, pretest-posttest; set up to examine the effect of motivational text messages on step count compared to a control group | yes | yes | no | no | n/a | [NAME] for 3 days a week | text messages | encouragement | no | no | n/a | not evaluated | participants in the intervention significantly increased their number of steps | 8
Lenert 2004 | 485 | smoking | smokers | 30 days | observational, two consecutive series of participants, evaluated by 7-day abstinence, 24-hr smoke free period, and average number of cigarettes smoked; set up to examine the effectiveness of automatically generated e-mail messages in enhancing beyond a website smoking cessation | yes | no | no | no | journal, online tracker for cigarette use, website with tailored/untailored materials | daily | e-mail | "individually timed educational messages," content delivery | yes, by stage of quit effort | yes | n/a | not evaluated | enhancing a smoking cessation website with e-mail prompts at strategic times increased rate of early successful quit efforts | 5
Liguori 2007 | 103 | PA | university extension agents and specialists | 16 weeks | randomized (by county), two groups, pretest-posttest; set up to examine the effect of bi-weekly e-mails to prevent the decrease of PA during the wintertime | yes | yes | yes | no | n/a | bi-weekly | e-mail | content delivery | no | no | correct identifiers of e-mail tagline (indicator of having read e-mails) reported significantly higher PA scores compared to controls | not evaluated | no significant difference from initial activity levels within intervention or control; participants that were assumed to have read e-mails did have significant higher PA scores when compared to control | 8
Lim 2012 | 337 | sexual health | 16-29 year olds | 12 months | randomized, two groups, pretest-posttest; set up to compare increased STI knowledge, health-seeking behavior, and use of condoms between group of young people receiving text messages and email versus those who did not receive prompts | yes | yes | no | yes | n/a | every 3-4 weeks for text messages, less than monthly for e-mail | text messages and e-mail | content delivery | no | no | n/a | over three quarters of participants who received SMS had shared them with someone; 13% and 24% found the emails and SMS annoying; 69% and 45% described SMS and email interesting | no significant difference between groups in reported condom use with risky partners; female participants in the intervention group more likely to have STI test compare to control group female subjects | 9
Lombard 2010 | 250 | diet and PA | adult women with young children | 12 months | randomized (within schools), two groups, pretest-posttest; set up to test the effect of a community based lifestyle program (group sessions and text messages)  on weight gain | yes | yes | no | no | four group sessions, goal setting | monthly | text messages | content delivery follow-up after 4 in-person class sessions (1 hour) | no | no | n/a | not evaluated | intervention group lost weight while the control group gained weight; difference observed between intervention and control groups for total cholesterol, self-management, and PA scores | 8
Mehran 2012 | 205 | diet | females older than 18 | 6 weeks | randomized, two groups, evaluated by urinary iodine concentration and pretest-posttest; set up to test the effect of cell phone text messaging to enhance knowledge, attitude and behavior around iodine deficiency and iodized salt consumption | yes | yes | yes | no | n/a | daily | text messages | content delivery | no | no | n/a | not evaluated | no significant difference observed in iodine-related behaviors between the intervention group and control group; differences seen in knowledge and attitudes. | 10
Obermayer 2004 | 46 | smoking | college student smokers aged 18-25 years | 6 weeks | observational, single group, pretest-posttest; set up to examine the feasibility of an integrated web and text-messaging program for smoking cessation | yes | no | no | yes | website feedback, support persons | varies (increasing frequency as quit date approaches) | text messages | content delivery (strategies), reminders | yes, by probable high-risk situations | yes | reading text messages was positively associated with increased quitters | participants rated the program high on acceptability, satisfaction, and subjective ratings of success; participants indicated text messaging component easier than web-based component | 43% of participants had made at least one 24 hour quit attempt; 10 of 27 had quit at posttest and 15 participants reduced consumption from average of 76 cigarettes to 32 cigarettes per week | 5
Park 2012 | 67 | diet, PA,  and blood pressure | post-menopausal women with abdominal obesity | 12 weeks | quasi-experimental, two groups, pretest-posttest; set up to test the effect of a text-messaging intervention on cardiovascular risk factors (waist circumference and blood pressure) | yes | yes | no | no | website for self-monitoring data, meeting with obesity specialist for both groups | 3 weekly | text messages | content delivery (strategies), reminders, feedback | yes, by self-monitoring data | yes | n/a | not evaluated | intervention group experienced decreased waist circumference, body weight, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and total cholesterol whereas the  control group saw increases in all of these measures; no difference observed in fasting blood glucose | 8
[NAME] 2009 | 65 | diet and PA | overweight adults | 4 months | randomized, two groups, pretest-posttest; set up to examine the effect of a health intervention based largely on SMS and MMS on weight loss versus a mailed print materials (only) approach | yes | yes | no | yes | weekly weighing | 2-5 times daily for text messages, monthly for printed materials and phone calls (control) | text messages (SMS and MMS), printed materials, phone | content delivery, feedback | yes, by number and timing of receipt of messages, participant's eating behaviors and previous replies | yes | not evaluated | satisfaction was high, with 92% stating they would recommend the intervention | intervention group lost more weight than the usual care group; weight loss for the intervention group was modest | 8
Plotnikoff 2010 | 1590 | diet and PA | adults | 12 weeks | randomized, two groups, pretest-posttest; follow up for previous study to determine if effects were maintained 6 months post-intervention and to describe participant feedback by the initial group of participants; all messages were provided in bulk to the control group | yes | yes | yes | yes | study website | 2 messages weekly | e-mail | content delivery | no | yes | n/a | majority of participants read all weekly messages, perceived e-mails to be appropriate length, and preferred the once a week frequency, and favored health prompts delivered by e-mail over paper or website | positive effects observed following initial intervention maintained or were additionally increased 6 months later; a similar impact on behavior was seen for the control group from receiving the health promotion messages in one bulk message | 10
Reback 2012 | 52 | methamphetamine use and sexual health | methamphetamine-using MSM aged 22-61 | 2 weeks | feasibility, one group, pretest-posttest; set up to examine whether a text messaging intervention could reduce methamphetamine use and high-risk sexual behaviors | yes | no | yes | yes | n/a | 1-3 messages daily | text messages | "risk reduction messages" | yes, by responses to five brief questions regarding methamphetamine use | yes | n/a | not evaluated | at 2 month follow-up, participants had significant decreases in frequency of methamphetamine use and unprotected sex while under the influence and reductions of unprotected anal intercourse with HIV-positive partners | 6
Riley 2008 | 31 | smoking | university student smokers aged 18-24 | 6 weeks | observational, single group, pretest-posttest; set up to replicate earlier study (Obermayer et al., 2004) examining effect of text messages on smoking cessation | yes | no | no | yes | website, users could request extra support through keywords | 1 to 3 messages daily | text messages | content delivery, encouragement to remain smoke free during high risk times | yes, by stage of change and by probable high-risk situations | no | n/a | program was well accepted with mean programs ratings 3.9 out of a possible 5 for general satisfaction, 4.0 for likelihood of recommending to others, 3.6 for perceived success compared to other cessation attempts | 45% of participants report 7 day point prevalence abstinence (42% biochemically verified) | 4
Rodgers 2005 | 1705 | smoking | daily smokers aged 16 or older | 6 months | randomized, two groups, evaluated by biochemically verified abstinence at 6 and 26 weeks; set up to examine the effect of a smoking cessation program conducted through text messages | yes | yes | no | no | n/a | 5 messages daily for 6 weeks, 3 weekly thereafter | text messages | content delivery (strategies), encouragement | yes, by participant characteristics and nickname | yes | n/a | not evaluated | intervention group had twice as much quitting than control group at six weeks; between group difference unclear at six months but quitting remained high for intervention group | 9
Shapiro 2012 | 170 | diet and PA | overweight adults | 12 months | randomized, two groups, pretest-posttest; set up to examine the effect of a health intervention based largely on SMS and MMS on weight loss with e-newsletters versus e-newsletters only [modified trial of [NAME] intervention] | yes | yes | no | no | weekly weighing, step monitors | 4 times daily for text messages, monthly for printed materials | text messages (SMS and MMS), printed materials | content delivery, feedback | yes, by number and timing of receipt of messages, participant's eating behaviors and previous replies | yes | participants responding to a greater number of messages were more likely to lose more weight over time | participants reported moderate-strong satisfaction; 57% reported they would pay for the intervention | weight lost modest; number of steps increased for the first 6mos, leveling off thereafter | 8
[NAME] 2012 | 202 | smoking | former smokers that had been abstinent for 4 weeks | 9 months | feasibility, one group, evaluated by CO-validated 7-day point prevalence abstinence; evaluated to examine the effect of a text-message intervention on relapse prevention for individuals using smoking cessation medication | yes | no |  | yes | medication for smoking cessation | weekly for 12 weeks, fortnightly thereafter | text messages | motivational support, encouragement of medication use | yes, by participant name and medication choice | yes | participants who self-reported abstinence at 6 mos. responded to more interactive text messages than those smoking | participants gave messages an overall 3.9 out of 5 rating; 3 participants withdrew because the no long wanted to receive messages | At six months, 38% of the total number of participants  reported 7-day point prevalence abstinence; 23% of the total was CO-validated | 5
[NAME] | 55 | diet and PA | individuals who had previously lost ≥5% body weight | 6 months | randomized, two groups, pretest-posttest; set up to test the effect of dietetic support through e-mail on weight loss maintenance | yes | yes | no | yes | monthly e-mail for weight self-report | weekly | e-mail | content delivery (strategies) | no | no | n/a | low attrition rate (8%) attributed to value participants placed on continued support by researcher | intervention group maintained weight loss which was significantly greater than that maintained in the control group; control group exhibited more rapid decline in weight loss maintenance | 9
Whittaker 2011 | 226 | smoking | daily smokers aged 16-25 | 6 months | randomized, two groups, evaluated by continuous abstinence (5 cigarettes in six months); set up to compare the effect of a complex video messaging mobile phone intervention compared to simple general health video messages | yes | yes | no | yes | website, users could request extra support through keywords | varies by quit date | video messages (phone-delivered) | content delivery, role modeling | yes, participants selected role models from whom they received messages | no | n/a | participants liked video messages from quitters and appreciated frequency and timing of messages | no significant differences in 7-day point prevalence abstinence between intervention and control groups at 4 or 12 weeks, or 6 months (study underpowered); majority of participants in both groups made multiple quit attempts | 8
Ybarra 2012 | 151 | smoking | Turkish adult daily smokers | 6 weeks | randomized, two groups, evaluated by CO-validated 7-day point prevalence;  set up to test effect of a text message smoking cessation intervention | yes | yes | yes | yes | n/a | 5 messages daily in 'pre-quit' with increasing number as quit day approached; 1 message daily for final week of program | text messages | content delivery, encouragement, recommendations | yes, by participant stage in quitting process | yes | n/a | Of participants responding at 4 week follow-up, 69% somewhat/strongly liked program, 78% would recommend to others | cessation at 3 months did not differ significantly from intervention group | 10
[NAME] 2005 | 72 | PA | sedentary, multiethnic, primarily low-income or unemployed adult women | 12 months | randomized, two groups, evaluated by total 7-day energy expenditure; set up to test the effect of home-based phone and mail counseling on PA compared to a mail only support | no | yes | no | no | eight 1 hr, weekly classes prior to the home-based post-class intervention; pedometers to monitor for progress and goal-setting; participants in phone + mail condition could earn prizes by reporting activity | weekly for 4 weeks, biweekly for 8 weeks, and monthly thereafter for phone contacts; monthly for mail contacts | newsletter/phone + newsletter | reinforcement and reminder of content of primary intervention | yes, participants in phone condition received personalized counseling | yes | n/a | not evaluated | both groups initially increased PA; after 10 months, phone and mail group sustained significantly increased PA while mail-only group relapsed to baseline PA | 8
[NAME] | 195 | diet | veterans | 6 months | observational, two groups, pretest-posttest; examined effect of tailored communications (TC) and motivational interviewing (MI) calls on FVC (FVC) as compared to a standard intervention | no | yes | no | yes | standard intervention included educational information, group sessions, and standard phone calls about weight | 4 TCs and 2-4 MI calls over six months | tailored newsletter, phone calls | content delivery | yes, by use of baseline questionnaire responses TCs were tailored | yes | positive association with reading more newsletters and FVC | newsletter perceived as personally important and applicable (82%); participants felt calls were tailored to their needs (78%); majority reported the newsletters and/or calls led to health behavior changes | increased exposure to TCs and increased perceived value of TCs resulted in increased FVC; MI calls not associated with FVC | 7
Carter-Edwards 2009 | 154 | diet and PA | Herald-Sun newspaper readers (Durham, NC) | 15 weeks | observational, single group, evaluated by pre-post weight; set up to test effect of a newspaper intervention on self-reported weight loss among participants in a newspaper-led weight loss challenge | no | no | no | no | 4 free, informal, interactive educational seminars by health professionals | weekly | newspaper articles (print and Web site) | content delivery, advice | no | no | n/a | not evaluated | participants throughout the duration of the study lost an average of 6 lbs. (3.2% of initial weight) | 4
Conn 2003 | 190 | PA | women aged 65 and older | 3 months | randomized, two groups, evaluated by PA scores, rate of perceived exertion and pedometer values; set up to compare the effect of the use of telephone and mail-delivered prompts versus no prompts after a 3-encounter motivational intervention | no | yes | no | no | small group and individual sessions | weekly | phone calls, newsletter, pamphlet, and recipe card | second intervention after small group individual sessions, content delivery and encouragement | no | no | n/a | not evaluated | participants receiving prompts performed significantly more exercise than those who did not | 9
Crane 2006 | 728 | [NAME] protection | infants/toddlers | 3 years | randomized, two groups, evaluated by pre-post interviews with parents, self-reported practices and skin examinations; set up to examine the impact of providing sun protection information packets to parents on sun protection behaviors and skin conditions for infant-3 years of age | no | yes | no | no | n/a | well child visits (6 months, 12 months, 36 months) | sun protection packets | recommendations for child sun care | no | no | n/a | not evaluated | small but significant differences in overall use of sun protection strategies; small impact on tanning and freckling | 9
de Vries 2008 | 2827 | diet, PA and/or smoking | adults aged 18-65 | 9 months | randomized, three groups, pretest-posttest; set up to examine effect of three tailored versus three generic health education letters on diet, PA, or smoking cessation; additional intervention group observed the effect of action plans on the aforementioned behaviors | no | yes | no | yes | action plans | tri-monthly | letters | feedback, action plans | yes, by behavior, responses to three questionnaires and person's stage of change | yes | n/a | participants in the intervention group read more of the information provided in the tailored letters than participants who received generic letters | for diet and physical activities, participants receiving tailored information experienced significantly more improvement compared to the control group; no differences between groups existed for smoking due to high cessation in both groups | 9
Etter 2001 | 2934 | smoking | adult smokers | 15 months | randomized, two groups, pretest-posttest; set up to test the effect of mailings on smoking cessation | no | yes | yes | yes | n/a | on average, 1.5 times over 6 months | counseling letters and two stage-matched booklets | personalized counseling, content delivery | yes, by participant responses to questionnaire and stage of change | no | positive association between the number of counseling letters read and smoking cessation | quitters in the intervention group reported the letters helped them quit smoking "a lot" (19%), "fairly" (19%), "somewhat" (30%), and "not at all" (32%) | abstinence 1 month post-intervention was 2.6 times greater in the intervention group than in control group (an additional quitter for every 28 participants) | 10
Gierisch 2010 | 3547 | mammography adherence | women aged 40-75 | 4 years | randomized, three groups, evaluated by non-adherence; set up to compare the effect of enhanced usual care reminders (printed letters), enhanced letter reminders (printed booklets), or automated telephone reminders on promoting mammography adherence | no | yes | no | yes | supplemental intervention included tailored priming mailings and telephone counseling for non-adherent women; study interviews, goal setting | yearly | printed letter reminders or printed booklets or telephone | reminders | yes, supplemental interventions (priming letter and call) were tailored by women's perceived barriers to mammograms | no | provision of supplemental interventions to non-adherent women reduced days non-adherent | not evaluated | all reminder types equally effective (averages of 50-60 days/year non-adherent), automated telephone reminders least expensive | 9
Grady 1984 | 189 | breast self-exam | women patients aged 18 and over (cyclic and non-cyclic menstrual cycles) | 6 months | randomized (within cyclic and non-cyclic), four groups, evaluated by BSE record; test to compare self management (calendar) and/or external management conditions (postcards) within cyclic and noncyclic women versus a control group | no | yes | yes | yes | breast self-examination instruction | monthly | postcard | "cue enhancement," reminders | no | no | cyclic women with self-management did better than those without while noncyclic women did worse with self management | for self-management condition, calendars more popular than stickers; greatest decline in BSE seen in postcard "on-time" conditions, thus withdrawal assumed to be cause of dramatic decline | for both cyclic and noncyclic women, self-management and postcards led to highest BSE rates; for cyclic women who only received postcards, there was no increase in BSE; for noncyclic women rates of BSE in combined condition match postcard only | 10
Heimendinger 2005 | 3402 | diet | callers to cancer information hotline | 12 months | quasi-experimental, four groups, evaluated by 7-day FFQ and pre-post FVC; set up to compare the effect of a single untailored booklet (SU) versus a single tailored booklet (ST) versus multiple tailored print communications (MT) versus MT with retailoring based on 5 month follow-up interviews | no | yes | yes | yes | brief phone-delivered educational message during baseline interview | 7-10 days after baseline completions (SU, ST, MT, MRT) then 8 and 11 months after baseline (MT, MRT) | print communications (booklet, newsletters, final letter) | content delivery, skill-building | yes, by responses to baseline questionnaire (ST, MT, MRT) and telephone follow-up interviews at 5 months (MRT) | yes | no significant advantage to tailoring when participants only received one mailing | tailored print materials were more likely to be remembered, read, and appreciated compared to untailored | linear trend and increased consumption of 0.21 servings across experimental conditions of increasing intensity (SU<ST<MT<[NAME]) | 8
Marcus 2007 | 239 | PA | sedentary adults | 12 months | randomized, three groups, pretest-posttest; set up to compare telephone or print in promoting PA | no | yes | no | yes | n/a | weekly for first month, monthly thereafter | phone, printed reports | feedback | yes, by feedback generated by computer expert system | yes | n/a | participants found phone calls to be useful (88.6%), supportive in goals (94.3%) and motivating (77.1%); only around half of participants found print reports useful or motivating; 62.5% found the reports supportive in goals | both intervention groups reported increase in PA from baseline to 6 months; a significant difference in increased PA only evident in print group from baseline to 12 months | 9
Mayer 1986 | 83 | breast self-exam | faculty and staff at a state university | 7 months | randomized, three groups, evaluated by tissue used during exam, pretest-posttest; set up to compare effect on breast self-examination by using phone or mail prompts versus a no-prompt condition | no | yes | no | yes | n/a | bi-weekly | phone or postcards | reminders after a 1hr teaching workshop | no | yes | groups did not differ statistically with respect to the number of high compliers | not evaluated | participants receiving phone prompts more likely to practice BSE at least once compared to mail prompts; both phone and mail prompt condition were more likely to perform BSE once as compared to the control group | 10
Opdenacker 2008 | 169 | PA | members of rural women's organization | 6 months | randomized (within unit of organization), three groups, pretest-posttest; set up to test the effect of minimal contact intervention integrated into women's organization on physical activity | no | yes | no | no | one group meeting, self-help booklet; accelerometer | monthly | letters | reminder follow-up from group meeting, content delivery (strategies), encouragement | no | no | n/a | not evaluated | no significant difference at pretest or posttest between intervention or control for self-reported outcome measures; activity counts increased in the intervention group as measured by accelerometer (not confirmed by self-report) | 8
Phelan 2011 | 401 | diet and PA | pregnant women | 6 months | randomized, two groups, evaluated by comparison with IOM guidelines; set up to test the effect of a behavioral weight control intervention (targeting diet and PA) on gestational weight gain | no | yes | yes | no | one face-to-face visit, individual feedback via graphs and 3 telephone calls (periodicity not stated), body weight scales, food records, pedometers | weekly | postcards | reminders, feedback | no | yes | n/a | not evaluated | normal weight women in the intervention group less likely than those in standard care group to gain above recommended; no difference seen between groups for overweight/[NAME] women | 10
Pinto 2006 | 86 | PA | women with early stage breast cancer | 12 weeks | randomized, two groups, pretest-posttest; set up to compare the effect on PA of phone counseling and activity sheets | no | yes | yes | yes | n/a | weekly | phone, exercise tip sheet | counseling, PA monitoring, health problem identification | no | yes | n/a | not evaluated | intervention group reported significantly more minutes of PA, moderate-intensity PA, and higher energy expended as compared to the contact control group; no differences in BMI or percent body fat | 10
Resnicow 2008 | 423 | diet | African-American adults | 3 months | randomized, two groups, pretest-posttest; set up to compare the effect of tailoring using self-determination theory (SDT) and MI constructs versus tailoring using social cognitive variables (control group) on FVC | no | yes | no | yes | n/a | monthly | newsletter | content delivery | yes | no | n/a | perceived relevance was marginally greater in the SDT and MI group versus the control group; high autonomous individuals in the experimental group reported significantly higher levels of relevance | no between group differences in fruit and vegetable intake at 3 months though each group showed similar significant increase in FVC (one for short questionnaire, half for long questionnaire) | 9
Resnicow 2009 | 468 | diet | African-American adults | 3 months | randomized, two groups, pretest-posttest; set up to test the effect of tailoring on ethnic identity on FVC versus tailoring using social cognitive variables | no | yes | no | yes | n/a | monthly | newsletter | content delivery | yes, by participant newsletter preference and graphics | no | n/a | among participants in the experimental group a significant correlation existed between newsletters read and personal relevance | no between group differences in FVC at 3 month; each group showed similar significant increase in intake | 9
Sacco 2004 | 10 | diabetes management | adults 18-50 years of age with Type I diabetes | 6 months | randomized, two groups, pretest-posttest; set up to examine the effect of a telephone-delivered intervention in impacting diabetes self-management behaviors | no | yes | no | yes | educational materials and self-management guides | weekly first 3 months, bi-weekly following 3 months | phone | content delivery, emotional support, counseling, monitoring | yes, by participant preference, out-of-range glucose values, and new goals | yes | n/a | not evaluated | coaching group's mean HbA1c was significantly lower while the control group's was significantly higher | 6
Williams-Piehota 2004 | 528 | diet | callers to cancer information hotline | 3 months | randomized, 2 groups, pretest-posttest; set up to compare the effect of messages with either personal or social responsibility for dietary behavior on FVC | no | yes | yes | yes | brief phone-delivered message | at baseline, 1 week and 2 and 3 months thereafter | pamphlets and other promotional items | content delivery | no | no | n/a | no difference between type of message received and having read the materials or ratings of interest | all participants increased number of fruits and vegetables consumed (2.69 to 3.86) and maintained increase to 4 month follow-up; no differences by message-type | 10
[NAME] 2011 | 178 | diet | Australian adults aged 40-65 requiring primary or secondary CVD prevention | 3 months | randomized, 3 groups, pretest-posttest; set up to examine the effect on improving short term dietary behavior of tailored, printed dietary feedback versus small group education sessions versus a wait-listed control group | no | yes | no | no | n/a | monthly | mailed printed dietary feedback reports | feedback | yes, by stage and processes of change constructs and responses to food frequency questionnaire | yes | n/a | not evaluated | participants receiving printed feedback were more effective in increasing fruit intake than small group nutrition education sessions and equally effective in improving saturated fat intake; no dietary improvements seen in cereals and grains for any group of participants | 9