Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25005606›Full record

SynthesisJournal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA2015

The influence of social networking sites on health behavior change: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Liliana Laranjo, Amaël Arguel, Ana L Neves, Aideen M Gallagher, Ruth Kaplan, Nathan Mortimer, Guilherme A Mendes, Annie Y S Lau

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 278 papers, 20 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
278citing papers in PubMed, 20 pooled it
–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

278 citing papers in PubMed, 20 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  9. The Role of FacebookInternational journal of environmental research and public health · 2022
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  16. Identifying Effective Behavior Change Techniques for Alcohol and Illicit Substance Use During Pregnancy: A Systematic Review.Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine · 2019
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218 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

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

8 authors.

Liliana LaranjoPortuguese School of Public Health, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
Amaël ArguelCentre for Health Informatics, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Ana L NevesFamily Medicine Unit, Department of Social Sciences and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Aideen M GallagherUNSW Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Ruth KaplanRoyal Hospital for Women, Sydney, Australia.
Nathan MortimerUNSW Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Guilherme A MendesACES Estuário do Tejo, Lisbon, Portugal.
Annie Y S LauCentre for Health Informatics, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveOur aim was to evaluate the use and effectiveness of interventions using social networking sites (SNSs) to change health behaviors. MATERIALS AND

methodsFive databases were scanned using a predefined search strategy. Studies were included if they focused on patients/consumers, involved an SNS intervention, had an outcome related to health behavior change, and were prospective. Studies were screened by independent investigators, and assessed using Cochrane's 'risk of bias' tool. Randomized controlled trials were pooled in a meta-analysis.

resultsThe database search retrieved 4656 citations; 12 studies (7411 participants) met the inclusion criteria. Facebook was the most utilized SNS, followed by health-specific SNSs, and Twitter. Eight randomized controlled trials were combined in a meta-analysis. A positive effect of SNS interventions on health behavior outcomes was found (Hedges' g 0.24; 95% CI 0.04 to 0.43). There was considerable heterogeneity (I(2) = 84.0%; T(2) = 0.058) and no evidence of publication bias. DISCUSSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first meta-analysis evaluating the effectiveness of SNS interventions in changing health-related behaviors. Most studies evaluated multi-component interventions, posing problems in isolating the specific effect of the SNS. Health behavior change theories were seldom mentioned in the included articles, but two particularly innovative studies used 'network alteration', showing a positive effect. Overall, SNS interventions appeared to be effective in promoting changes in health-related behaviors, and further research regarding the application of these promising tools is warranted.

conclusionsOur study showed a positive effect of SNS interventions on health behavior-related outcomes, but there was considerable heterogeneity. Protocol registration The protocol for this systematic review is registered at http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO with the number CRD42013004140.

Indexed as

Health BehaviorSocial MediaSocial NetworkingConsumer Health InformationHealth PromotionHumansBehavior ChangeConsumer HealthSocial MediaSocial NetworkSocial Networking Site

Identifiers

PMID25005606
PMCPMC4433372

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.