Trial reportTrials2015
A theory-based online health behaviour intervention for new university students (U@Uni:LifeGuide): results from a repeat randomized controlled trial.
Trial report in Trials, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers, 11 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
32 citing papers in PubMed, 11 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Physical activity measurement tools among college students in intervention studies: A systematic review.PloS one · 2025Pooled it
- Improving student diet and food security in higher education using participatory and co-creation approaches: a systematic review.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2024Pooled it
- The effect of forming implementation intentions on alcohol consumption: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Drug and alcohol review · 2023Pooled it
- Investigating Web-Based Nutrition Education Interventions for Promoting Sustainable and Healthy Diets in Young Adults: A Systematic Literature Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- The Long-Term Effectiveness of Internet-Based Interventions on Multiple Health Risk Behaviors: Systematic Review and Robust Variance Estimation Meta-analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2021Pooled it
- Strategies and Measurement Tools in Physical Activity Promotion Interventions in the University Setting: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Pooled it
- A systematic review of the effectiveness of digital interventions for illicit substance misuse harm reduction in third-level students.BMC public health · 2019Pooled it
- Weight Management in Young Adults: Systematic Review of Electronic Health Intervention Components and Outcomes.Journal of medical Internet research · 2019Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Individual-, family-, and school-level interventions targeting multiple risk behaviours in young people.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2018Pooled it
- Internet-based interventions for smoking cessation.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2017Pooled it
- Effectiveness of two educational interventions based on the theory of planned behavior on oral cancer self-examination in adults: a randomized controlled trial.BMC oral health · 2024Trial
- Trial
- The Effect of Tailored Web-Based Feedback and Optional Telephone Coaching on Health Improvements: A Randomized Intervention Among Employees in the Transport Service Industry.Journal of medical Internet research · 2016Trial
- Factors Influencing Adherence to Digital Lifestyle Interventions for Adolescents: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Attrition.Interactive journal of medical research · 2026Review
- Digital Intervention Components for Preventing and Reducing Substance Use in Adolescents and Emerging Adults: A Comprehensive Scoping Review.Journal of prevention (2022) · 2026Article
- Changing University Students' Habit Strength Towards Alcohol Consumption Using Affectively and Cognitively Framed Messages.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Impact of Intervention Strategies on Fruit and Vegetable Intake in Low-, Middle- and High-Income Countries: A Scoping Review.Food and nutrition bulletin · 2025Article
- The Effect of Educational Intervention Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior in Prevention of Smoking in Male Students.BioMed research international · 2025Article
- Effectiveness of Self-Affirmation Interventions in Educational Settings: A Meta-Analysis.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThis paper reports the results of a repeat trial assessing the effectiveness of an online theory-based intervention to promote healthy lifestyle behaviours in new university students. The original trial found that the intervention reduced the number of smokers at 6-month follow-up compared with the control condition, but had non-significant effects on the other targeted health behaviours. However, the original trial suffered from low levels of engagement, which the repeat trial sought to rectify.
methodsThree weeks before staring university, all incoming undergraduate students at a large university in the UK were sent an email inviting them to participate in the study. After completing a baseline questionnaire, participants were randomly allocated to intervention or control conditions. The intervention consisted of a self-affirmation manipulation, health messages based on the theory of planned behaviour and implementation intention tasks. Participants were followed-up 1 and 6 months after starting university. The primary outcome measures were portions of fruit and vegetables consumed, physical activity levels, units of alcohol consumed and smoking status at 6-month follow-up.
resultsThe study recruited 2,621 students (intervention n=1346, control n=1275), of whom 1495 completed at least one follow-up (intervention n=696, control n=799). Intention-to-treat analyses indicated that the intervention had a non-significant effect on the primary outcomes, although the effect of the intervention on fruit and vegetable intake was significant in the per-protocol analyses. Secondary analyses revealed that the intervention had significant effects on having smoked at university (self-report) and on a biochemical marker of alcohol use.
conclusionsDespite successfully increasing levels of engagement, the intervention did not have a significant effect on the primary outcome measures. The relatively weak effects of the intervention, found in both the original and repeat trials, may be due to the focus on multiple versus single health behaviours. Future interventions targeting the health behaviour of new university students should therefore focus on single health behaviours.
trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN07407344 .
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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.