Mobile phone SMS messages can enhance healthy behaviour: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Abstract
Healthy behaviour, such as smoking cessation and adherence to prescribed medications, mitigates illness risk factors but health behaviour change can be challenging. Mobile phone short-message service (SMS) messages are increasingly used to deliver interventions designed to enhance healthy behaviour. This meta-analysis used a random-effects model to synthesise 38 randomised controlled trials that investigated the efficacy of SMS messages to enhance healthy behaviour. Participants (N = 19,641) lived in developed and developing countries and were diverse with respect to age, ethnicity, socioeconomic background and health behaviours targeted for change. SMS messages had a small, positive, significant effect (g = 0.291) on a broad range of healthy behaviour. This effect was maximised when multiple SMS messages per day were used (g = 0.395) compared to using lower frequencies (daily, multiple per week and once-off) (g = 0.244). The low heterogeneity in this meta-analysis (I (2) = 38.619) supports reporting a summary effect size and implies that the effect of SMS messaging is robust, regardless of population characteristics or healthy behaviour targeted. SMS messaging is a simple, cost-effective intervention that can be automated and can reach any mobile phone owner. While the effect size is small, potential health benefits are well worth achieving.
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Simple text reminders, phone calls or other types of prompts can increase engagement and use of care.
“Other studies have noted that simple text reminders, (36) phone calls or other types of prompts can increase engagement and use of care. (37)”
From The impact of digital interventions on help-seeking behaviour for mental health problems: a systematic literature review (2022) · cites this paper as [37]
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- Authors
- Orr, J. A., & King, R. J.
- Affiliations
- Queensland University of Technology (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Orr, Jayne A.
- Venue
- Health Psychology Review
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2015-05-28
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 397-416
- ISSN
- 1743-7199 (ISSN-L)
- 1743-7202
- OpenAlex
- W1969874898
- Cited by
- 174
- References
- 59
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 4
- FWCI
- 2.81
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Health Psychology Review (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Mobile Health and mHealth Applications
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Smoking Behavior and Cessation
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
- Keywords
- short message service, health behavior change, smoking cessation, medication adherence, automated intervention, cost-effective interventions
- MeSH terms
- Developing Countries, Health Promotion, Humans, Health Behavior, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Reminder Systems, Telemedicine, Cell Phone, Text Messaging
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