SynthesisPreventive medicine
A meta-analysis of computer-tailored interventions for health behavior change.
Synthesis in Preventive medicine. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 5 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 432 papers, 14 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Long Term Impact of a Physical Activity Intervention Combining Workshop During a Balneotherapy and a Web and Smartphone-based Physical Activity Program After Balneotherapy, on Physical Activity Level : a Randomized Control Trial
Comparative Efficacy of a Self-directed and Therapist-assisted Telehealth Parent Training Intervention for Children With ASD
The Effects of Providing Protein and Nutritional Guidance on Healing Times After ACL Surgery
Leveraging Social Media to Increase Lung Cancer Screening Awareness, Knowledge and Uptake in High-Risk Populations
LEAD Pilot Study: Leveraging the Emergency Department to Address SDOH and Reduce Lung Cancer Screening Disparities
Who cites it
432 citing papers in PubMed, 14 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Intervention Effectiveness of Health Behaviors During COVID-19: A Systematic Review and a Network Meta-Analysis.PsyCh journal · 2025Pooled it
- Planning, implementation, evaluation, and sustainment of digital health interventions for adolescent substance use prevention: a systematic review of influencing factors based on the RE-AIM framework.Health education research · 2025Pooled it
- Effectiveness of Computer-Tailored Health Communication in Increasing Physical Activity in People With or at Risk of Long-Term Conditions: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Pooled it
- The Effectiveness of Nutritional Education Interventions on Dietary Intake in Young Black Males: A Near-Empty Systematic Review.Nutrients · 2022Pooled it
- mHealth Interventions to Reduce Physical Inactivity and Sedentary Behavior in Children and Adolescents: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2022Pooled it
- Smartphone-Delivered Ecological Momentary Interventions Based on Ecological Momentary Assessments to Promote Health Behaviors: Systematic Review and Adapted Checklist for Reporting Ecological Momentary Assessment and Intervention Studies.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2021Pooled it
- The effectiveness of digital interventions for increasing physical activity in individuals of low socioeconomic status: a systematic review and meta-analysis.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2021Pooled it
- Just-in-Time Adaptive Mechanisms of Popular Mobile Apps for Individuals With Depression: Systematic App Search and Literature Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2021Pooled it
- Effectiveness of Digital Interventions for Reducing Behavioral Risks of Cardiovascular Disease in Nonclinical Adult Populations: Systematic Review of Reviews.Journal of medical Internet research · 2021Pooled it
- Acceptability of online exercise-based interventions after breast cancer surgery: systematic review and narrative synthesis.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2021Pooled it
- Smartphone-Based Interventions and Internalizing Disorders in Youth: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2021Pooled it
- Physical activity and nutrition interventions for older adults with cancer: a systematic review.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2020Pooled it
- A systematic review of just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAIs) to promote physical activity.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2019Pooled it
- The use of eHealth to promote physical activity in cancer survivors: a systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2018Pooled it
- A Web-Based Virtual Environment Behavioral Intervention as Cardiovascular Disease and Metabolic Disease Prevention Education in Persons With HIV: Evaluation of the LEARN Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Trial
- EHealth intervention for quality of life in long-term breast cancer survivors: randomized controlled trial.Journal of the National Cancer Institute · 2026Trial
- Effects, Acceptability, and Use of a Dynamically Tailored Mobile What Do You Drink Intervention to Reduce Excessive Drinking Among Adolescents and Young Adults in the Netherlands: Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2026Trial
- Online Tailored Decision Aid for Maternal Pertussis Vaccination in a Randomized Controlled Trial: Process Evaluation Study.JMIR formative research · 2025Trial
- Prevention Needs and Target Behavior Preferences in an App-Based Addiction Prevention Program for German Vocational School Students: Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2025Trial
- Patient Navigation Plus Tailored Digital Video Disc Increases Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Low-Income and Minority Patients Who Did Not Attend a Scheduled Screening Colonoscopy: A Randomized Trial.Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine · 2024Trial
372 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveComputer-tailored interventions have become increasingly common for facilitating improvement in behaviors related to chronic disease and health promotion. A sufficient number of outcome studies from these interventions are now available to facilitate the quantitative analysis of effect sizes, permitting moderator analyses that were not possible with previous systematic reviews.
methodThe present study employs meta-analytic techniques to assess the mean effect for 88 computer-tailored interventions published between 1988 and 2009 focusing on four health behaviors: smoking cessation, physical activity, eating a healthy diet, and receiving regular mammography screening. Effect sizes were calculated using Hedges g. Study, tailoring, and demographic moderators were examined by analyzing between-group variance and meta-regression.
resultsClinically and statistically significant overall effect sizes were found across each of the four behaviors. While effect sizes decreased after intervention completion, dynamically tailored interventions were found to have increased efficacy over time as compared with tailored interventions based on one assessment only. Study effects did not differ across communication channels nor decline when up to three behaviors were identified for intervention simultaneously.
conclusionThis study demonstrates that computer-tailored interventions have the potential to improve health behaviors and suggests strategies that may lead to greater effectiveness of these techniques.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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 OpenQuestion graph.