ArticlemHealth2021
Effectiveness of a mobile phone text messaging intervention on dietary behaviour in patients with type 2 diabetes: a post-hoc analysis of a randomised controlled trial.
Article in mHealth, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 4 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
8 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Reporting Gaps in mHealth Intervention Studies for Adults With Diabetes: Systematic Review.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2026Pooled it
- Effect of digital health interventions on glycaemic control among type 2 diabetes individuals in low and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2026Pooled it
- Components in downstream health promotions to reduce sugar intake among adults: a systematic review.Nutrition journal · 2024Pooled it
- Dietary Interventions for Type 2 Diabetes in South Asian Populations-A Systematic Review.Current nutrition reports · 2023Pooled it
- Article
- Review
- Understanding Drivers of Sustained Engagement in SMS-Based Nutrition Programmes: A Realist Evaluation With an Equity Lens in Tanzania.Maternal & child nutrition · 2025Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundEvidence suggests that mobile phone health (mHealth) programs may improve healthy behaviours and clinical outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, data on mHealth dietary behaviour is scarce in low-and-middle-income countries. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of a text messaging program on dietary habits in patients with T2DM.
methodsWe performed a post-hoc analysis of a randomised controlled trial of text messaging intervention in 236 patients with T2DM recruited from a tertiary hospital. Data were collected on socio-demographics, mobile phone use, family and medical history, self-reported diseases, medication use, health-seeking behaviour, diet and physical activity. Dietary behaviour was assessed using a modified version of WHO STEPS and the Indian Migration Study Food Frequency Questionnaire. Intervention participants received one message/day over six months focusing on lifestyle modification. Dietary intake of fruits, vegetables, sugar beverages and teaspoons of sugar in tea/coffee were determined in serves-per-week and were analysed using Chi-square tests. Poisson regression models, adjusted for age, sex and baseline values following an intention-to-treat approach were performed and expressed as an estimate of effect size.
resultsAt 6 months, the adjusted difference in vegetable consumption was -0.02 serves/week [95% confidence interval (CI): -0.11-0.06, P>0.05] and fruit intake was 0.02 serves/week (95% CI: -0.15-0.21, P>0.05). Consumption of sugar beverages reduced in both groups at 6 months with an adjusted difference of -0.34 serves/week (95% CI: -1.10-0.42, P>0.05). Teaspoons of sugar in tea reduced to 0.1±0.3 teaspoons/week in the control group, however, remained the same at 0.2±0.6 teaspoons/week in the intervention group with an adjusted difference of 0.94 teaspoons/week (95% CI: 0.04-1.84, P<0.05).
conclusionsOur results suggest that a text messaging program did not significantly improve dietary behaviour in patients with T2DM. Further studies are warranted to explore the effectiveness of text messaging on dietary behaviour in adults with T2DM.
trial registrationGerman Clinical Trials Register DRKS00005188, http://www.drks.de.
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