Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25528345›Full record

SynthesisPsychological bulletin2015

When it comes to lifestyle recommendations, more is sometimes less: a meta-analysis of theoretical assumptions underlying the effectiveness of interventions promoting multiple behavior domain change.

Kristina Wilson, Ibrahim Senay, Marta Durantini, Flor Sánchez, Michael Hennessy, Bonnie Spring, Dolores Albarracín

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

Synthesis in Psychological bulletin, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 67 papers, 13 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
67citing papers in PubMed, 13 pooled it
6.2field-weighted citation impact, top 3% 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

67 citing papers in PubMed, 13 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 155 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Enhancing Weight Loss Programs: A Meta-Analysis of Financial Incentives and Behavior Change Techniques.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2026
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  7. Complex solutions for a complex problem: A meta-analysis of the efficacy of multiple-behavior interventions on change in outcomes related to HIV.Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association · 2021
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  8. More behavioral recommendations produce more change: A meta-analysis of efficacy of multibehavior recommendations to reduce nonmedical substance use.Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors · 2020
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  14. Effects of a Physical Activity mHealth Intervention (Fit2Thrive) on WCRF/AICR Cancer Prevention Recommendations among Breast Cancer Survivors: A Secondary Data Analysis.Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2025
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7 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

7 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Kristina WilsonAnnenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania.
Ibrahim SenayDepartment of Psychology, Istanbul Sehir Universitesi.
Marta DurantiniSchool of Social Work, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Flor SánchezDepartamento de Psicología Social y Metodología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.
Michael HennessyAnnenberg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania.
Bonnie SpringDepartment of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University.
Dolores AlbarracínDepartment of Psychology.
University of Pennsylvania · USIstanbul Şehir University · TRUniversidad Autónoma de Madrid · ESUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · US

Funding

Multiple Behavior Change in Diet and ActivityR01HL075451 · NHLBI · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO · PI SPRING, BONNIE · 2004 to 2014
$6.6M
Efficacy and Effectiveness of Multi-Behavior Interventions Relevant to HIVR01MH094241 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI ALBARRACIN, DOLORES · 2012 to 2016
$2.2M
NHLBI NIH HHS HL075451NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL075451NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH094241
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

A meta-analysis of 150 research reports summarizing the results of multiple behavior domain interventions examined theoretical predictions about the effects of the included number of recommendations on behavioral and clinical change in the domains of smoking, diet, and physical activity. The meta-analysis yielded 3 main conclusions. First, there is a curvilinear relation between the number of behavioral recommendations and improvements in behavioral and clinical measures, with a moderate number of recommendations producing the highest level of change. A moderate number of recommendations is likely to be associated with stronger effects because the intervention ensures the necessary level of motivation to implement the recommended changes, thereby increasing compliance with the goals set by the intervention, without making the intervention excessively demanding. Second, this curve was more pronounced when samples were likely to have low motivation to change, such as when interventions were delivered to nonpatient (vs. patient) populations, were implemented in nonclinic (vs. clinic) settings, used lay community (vs. expert) facilitators, and involved group (vs. individual) delivery formats. Finally, change in behavioral outcomes mediated the effects of number of recommended behaviors on clinical change. These findings provide important insights that can help guide the design of effective multiple behavior domain interventions.

Indexed as

Life StyleHealth BehaviorHealth PromotionHumansMotivation

Identifiers

PMID25528345
PMCPMC4801324
OpenAlexW2045174619

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
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.