Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24903620›Full record

Trial reportBMC public health2014

A theory-based online health behaviour intervention for new university students (U@Uni): results from a randomised controlled trial.

Tracy Epton, Paul Norman, Aba-Sah Dadzie, Peter R Harris, Thomas L Webb, Paschal Sheeran, Steven A Julious, Fabio Ciravegna, Alan Brennan, Petra S Meier and 4 more

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC public health, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 43 papers, 16 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
43citing papers in PubMed, 16 pooled it
5.9field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
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

43 citing papers in PubMed, 16 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 91 citations in OpenAlex.

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  16. Internet-based interventions for smoking cessation.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2017
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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

14 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Tracy EptonDepartment of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TP, UK. epton.tracy@gmail.com.
Paul Norman
Aba-Sah Dadzie
Peter R Harris
Thomas L Webb
Paschal Sheeran
Steven A Julious
Fabio Ciravegna
Alan Brennan
Petra S Meier
Declan Naughton
Andrea Petroczi
Jen Kruger
Iltaf Shah
University of Sheffield · GBKingston University · GBUniversity of Manchester · GBUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · USUniversity of Sussex · GB

Funding

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research CouncilBritish Heart FoundationCancer Research UKChief Scientist OfficeDepartment of HealthMedical Research Council G1000043Medical Research Council MR/J000450/1Medical Research Council MR/K023195/1Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundToo few young people engage in behaviours that reduce the risk of morbidity and premature mortality, such as eating healthily, being physically active, drinking sensibly and not smoking. This study sought to assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a theory-based online health behaviour intervention (based on self-affirmation theory, the Theory of Planned Behaviour and implementation intentions) targeting these behaviours in new university students, in comparison to a measurement-only control.

methodsTwo-weeks before starting university all incoming undergraduates at the University of Sheffield were invited to take part in a study of new students' health behaviour. A randomised controlled design, with a baseline questionnaire, and two follow-ups (1 and 6 months after starting university), was used to evaluate the intervention. Primary outcomes were measures of the four health behaviours targeted by the intervention at 6-month follow-up, i.e., portions of fruit and vegetables, metabolic equivalent of tasks (physical activity), units of alcohol, and smoking status.

resultsThe study recruited 1,445 students (intervention n = 736, control n = 709, 58% female, Mean age = 18.9 years), of whom 1,107 completed at least one follow-up (23% attrition). The intervention had a statistically significant effect on one primary outcome, smoking status at 6-month follow-up, with fewer smokers in the intervention arm (8.7%) than in the control arm (13.0%; Odds ratio = 1.92, p = .010). There were no significant intervention effects on the other primary outcomes (physical activity, alcohol or fruit and vegetable consumption) at 6-month follow-up.

conclusionsThe results of the RCT indicate that the online health behaviour intervention reduced smoking rates, but it had little effect on fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity or alcohol consumption, during the first six months at university. However, engagement with the intervention was low. Further research is needed before strong conclusions can be made regarding the likely effectiveness of the intervention to promote health lifestyle habits in new university students.

trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials, ISRCTN67684181.

Indexed as

Health BehaviorInternetStudentsAdolescentCost-Benefit AnalysisFemaleHealth PromotionHumansMaleModels, TheoreticalObesitySmoking PreventionTreatment OutcomeUniversitiesYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID24903620
PMCPMC4067627
OpenAlexW2141826154

What OpenQuestion 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 OpenQuestion graph.