Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29437546›Full record

SynthesisTelemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association2018

Theories Applied to m-Health Interventions for Behavior Change in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review.

Yoon-Min Cho, Seohyun Lee, Sheikh Mohammed Shariful Islam, Sun-Young Kim

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 65 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
65citing papers in PubMed, 7 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

65 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  17. Mobile Interventions for Reducing Sedentary Behavior and Promoting Physical Activity Among Office Workers: Bibliometric Study.Health education & behavior : the official publication of the Society for Public Health Education · 2026
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5 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

4 authors.

Yoon-Min Cho1 Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University , Seoul, South Korea .
Seohyun Lee2 Center for Global Health Research, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University , Seoul, South Korea .
Sheikh Mohammed Shariful Islam3 Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health, Deakin University , Melbourne, Australia .
Sun-Young Kim1 Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University , Seoul, South Korea .

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRecently there has been dramatic increase in the use of mobile technologies for health (m-Health) in both high and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, little is known whether m-Health interventions in LMICs are based on relevant theories critical for effective implementation of such interventions. This review aimed to systematically identify m-Health studies on health behavioral changes in LMICs and to examine how each study applied behavior change theories. MATERIALS AND

methodsA systematic review was conducted using the standard method from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline. By searching electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials [CENTRAL]), we identified eligible studies published in English from inception to June 30, 2017. For the identified m-Health studies in LMICs, we examined their theoretical bases, use of behavior change techniques (BCTs), and modes of delivery.

resultsA total of 14 m-Health studies on behavioral changes were identified and, among them, only 5 studies adopted behavior change theory. The most frequently cited theory was the health belief model, which was adopted in three studies. Likewise, studies have applied only a limited number of BCTs. Among the seven BCTs identified, the most frequently used one was the social support (practical) technique for medication reminder and medical appointment. m-Health studies in LMICs most commonly used short messaging services and phone calls as modes of delivery for behavior change interventions.

conclusionsm-Health studies in LMICs are suboptimally based on behavior change theory yet. To maximize effectiveness of m-Health, rigorous delivery methods as well as theory-based intervention designs will be needed.

Indexed as

Developing CountriesHealth BehaviorBehavior TherapyClinical Trials as TopicHumansModels, PsychologicalTelemedicineText Messagingbehavioral healthe-healthm-Healthtelehealthtelemedicine

Identifiers

PMID29437546
PMCPMC6205046

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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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.