SynthesisThe international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity2023
Effects of habit formation interventions on physical activity habit strength: meta-analysis and meta-regression.
Synthesis in The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 35 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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
35 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Nursing interventions to enhance self-care in heart failure: a systematic review interpreted through the COM-B model.Systematic reviews · 2026Pooled it
- Not all cues are equal: A systematic review and three-level meta-analysis of context consistency, physical activity and habit strength.Applied psychology. Health and well-being · 2026Pooled it
- Barriers and Facilitators to Physical Activity Adherence in People With Type 2 Diabetes: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review Using the COM-B Model and Theoretical Domains Framework.International journal of behavioral medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Exergame-Based Behavior Change Interventions for Promoting Physical Activity: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Studies.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Pooled it
- Behavior Change Techniques Used in Self-Management Interventions Based on mHealth Apps for Adults With Hypertension: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Pooled it
- Tailored video-based lifestyle intervention for overweight or obese adults in Phnom Penh, Cambodia: a pilot cluster randomized controlled trial.Health policy and planning · 2026Trial
- Reinforcing implementation intentions with imagery increases physical activity habit strength and behaviour.British journal of health psychology · 2025Trial
- Analysis of Metabolic and Quality-of-Life Factors in Patients With Cancer for a New Approach to Classifying Walking Habits: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Trial
- HabitWalk: A micro-randomized trial to understand and promote habit formation in physical activity.Applied psychology. Health and well-being · 2025Trial
- Changes in identity and habit formation during 3 months of sport and physical activity participation among parents with young children.Applied psychology. Health and well-being · 2025Trial
- Differential impacts of jogging and rope skipping in college students in China based on physical test score: a randomized controlled trial baseline indicator comparison in the intervention.Frontiers in public health · 2025Trial
- Nintendo Switch-Based Exergaming for Subthreshold Depression: Mixed Methods Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR serious games · 2026Article
- Barriers and facilitators to physical activity among older Chinese adults in the UK: a qualitative descriptive study.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Bridging the intention-behavior gap in physical activity among pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus: a qualitative study of self-control strategy use and dynamics.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2026Article
- High school health education: focus on the development of self-assessment.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Protocol for a single-arm, multi-component behavior change technique (BCT) intervention to develop a walking habit among caregivers for persons with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD).Contemporary clinical trials · 2026Article
- Effectiveness and Theoretical Foundations of mHealth Apps for Physical Activity, Healthy Eating, and Weight Loss: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.JMIR research protocols · 2026Article
- Exploring spillover effects beyond workplace dietary interventions using agent-based modelling.Public health nutrition · 2026Article
- Beyond the cross-section: Rethinking the intention-behaviour gap through a conceptual and methodological lens.British journal of health psychology · 2026Review
- Mobile Health Application for the Prevention of Stroke (MAPS): a pilot, single-arm study on an innovative health application designed for primary stroke prevention.BMC neurology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundInterventions aimed at promoting physical activity (PA) behavior through habit formation pathways are gaining popularity, as they differ from conventional interventions that rely on intention pathways. Past research has established a positive correlation between PA habits and behavior. However, the efficacy of current interventions designed to form PA habits and improve PA automaticity is not yet fully ascertained. Additionally, the intervention components that significantly impact the effectiveness of these interventions are yet to be determined.
methodsThis systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We conducted a search of three databases (PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library) from January 2000 to December 2022, with a focus on interventions for developing PA habits. Two independent authors conducted paper selection, quality assessment, data extraction, and coding of behavior change techniques (BCTs). The effect size of interventions was calculated using standardized mean difference. Subgroup analyses were carried out based on follow-up duration, delivery method, sample characteristics, and theory. Furthermore, we employed meta-regression to investigate the association between BCTs and PA habits.
resultsTen eligible studies with relatively high quality were included in the final data set. Characteristics of studies varied in intervention sample and delivery way. The habit formation interventions significantly increased PA habit (SMD = 0.31, 95% CI 0.14-0.48, P < .001) compared to the control groups. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that the duration of follow-up ≤ 12 weeks have a higher effect size on PA habit than the duration > 12 weeks. Meta-regression revealed that problem solving has a significant positive association with effectiveness improvement (β = 0.36, 95% CI 0.17-0.55), while social reward is linked with a reduction in effectiveness (β = -0.40, 95% CI -0.74-0.06).
conclusionsOur findings reveal that habit formation interventions are effective in fostering PA habit. Future studies could leverage the insights form this study to optimize the intervention design and achieve better effectiveness.
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