Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27184821›Full record

ArticlePublic health2016

Why is changing health-related behaviour so difficult?

Michael P Kelly, Mary Barker

Open access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Public health, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 422 papers, 11 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
422citing papers in PubMed, 11 pooled it
61.8field-weighted citation impact, top 1% 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

422 citing papers in PubMed, 11 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 1,107 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Intervention Using Video and Comic Books Targeting Nutritional Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review.Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association · 2026
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  11. Interventions to identify and manage depression delivered by 'nontraditional' providers to community-dwelling older adults: A realist review.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2022
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362 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

2 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Michael P KellyPrimary Care Unit, Institute of Public Health, Forvie Site, University of Cambridge, CB2 0SR, UK. Electronic address: mk744@medschl.cam.ac.uk.
Mary BarkerMRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK.
Southampton General Hospital · GBUniversity of Cambridge · GB

Funding

Medical Research Council MC_UU_12011/4Medical Research Council MR/N011848/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo demonstrate that six common errors made in attempts to change behaviour have prevented the implementation of the scientific evidence base derived from psychology and sociology; to suggest a new approach which incorporates recent developments in the behavioural sciences. STUDY

designThe role of health behaviours in the origin of the current epidemic of non-communicable disease is observed to have driven attempts to change behaviour. It is noted that most efforts to change health behaviours have had limited success. This paper suggests that in policy-making, discussions about behaviour change are subject to six common errors and that these errors have made the business of health-related behaviour change much more difficult than it needs to be.

methodsOverview of policy and practice attempts to change health-related behaviour.

resultsThe reasons why knowledge and learning about behaviour have made so little progress in alcohol, dietary and physical inactivity-related disease prevention are considered, and an alternative way of thinking about the behaviours involved is suggested. This model harnesses recent developments in the behavioural sciences.

conclusionIt is important to understand the conditions preceding behaviour psychologically and sociologically and to combine psychological ideas about the automatic and reflective systems with sociological ideas about social practice.

Indexed as

Health BehaviorPsychological TheoryAlcohol DrinkingDietEpidemicsExerciseHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHealth PolicyHumansObesitySedentary BehaviorSmokingUnited KingdomBehaviour changeNon-communicable diseasePsychological theoryPublic healthSocial practice

Identifiers

PMID27184821
PMCPMC4931896
OpenAlexW2375143166

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.