Electronic Media–Based Health Interventions Promoting Behavior Change in Youth

Abstract

Objective To assess the type and quality of the studies evaluating the effects of electronic media-based interventions on health and safety behavior change. Data Sources Studies were identified from searches in MEDLINE (1950 to September 2010) a and PsycINFO (1967 to September 2010). Study Selection Included were published studies of interventions that used electronic media and focused on health/safety behavior change in children aged 18 years or younger. Intervention Electronic media-based intervention. Main Outcome Measure Health or safety behavior change. Results Nineteen studies met criteria and focused on at least one behavior change outcome. Of these studies, 7 employed interventions related to physical activity and/or nutrition, 6 focused on asthma, 3 focused on safety behaviors, 2 focused on sexual risk behaviors, and 1 targeted diabetes. Seventeen studies reported at least one statistically significant effect on behavior change outcomes, including an increase in fruit, juice, or vegetable consumption, an increase in physical activity, improved asthma self-management, acquisition of street and fire safety skills, and sexual abstinence. Only five of the 19 studies were rated as being of excellent quality. Conclusions Our systematic review suggests that interventions using electronic media can improve health/safety behaviors in young people. However, there is a need for higher quality, rigorous interventions that promote behavior change.

Nutrition for the Next Generation: Older Children and Adolescents

“…Electronic and social media platforms have gained much popularity over the years as a way to reach a vast number of youth. Mass media campaigns using television and radio have the po- tential to improve dietary quality in youth [59]. mHealth technology has also been studied to promote a healthy diet and other lifestyle behaviors in children [60].…”

If We Build It, Will They Come? A Qualitative Study of Key Stakeholder Opinions on the Implementation of a Videogame Intervention for Risk Reduction in Adolescents

“…3,4 With 94%-99% of boys and girls playing videogames, 5 and 63% of adolescents playing on any given day, videogames are increasingly being used as vehicles to deliver knowledge and skills. 4 PlayForward: Elm City Stories (PlayForward), a videogame developed to target risk behavior change with a particular focus on HIV-related risk, 1,[6][7][8] is currently being evaluated.…”

“…3,4 With 94%-99% of boys and girls playing videogames, 5 and 63% of adolescents playing on any given day, videogames are increasingly being used as vehicles to deliver knowledge and skills. 4 PlayForward: Elm City Stories (PlayForward), a videogame developed to target risk behavior change with a particular focus on HIV-related risk, 1,[6][7][8] is currently being evaluated. Based on the technology acceptance model, for this intervention to be effective in ''real-world'' settings, there must be strong perceptions of usefulness and ease of use among key stakeholders 9 ; therefore, it is vital to collect data from stakeholders to design viable implementation strategies.…”

Videogames, Here for Good

“…2 Our purpose is to highlight that videogames can be used for good. We draw on emerging evidence showing that specially designed videogames can have a positive influence on cognitions and actions related to health and have the potential to be used as measures of actual behaviors outside gameplay.…”

“…6 Although these 2 examples represent well-designed and efficacious interventions, a recent systematic review evaluating the use of electronic media targeting behavior change in youth found that the studies were generally of poor quality when evaluated using standard metrics designed to evaluate levels of evidence. 2 Therefore, an evolving focus in producing games for health is establishing scientific and evidence-based approaches to game development alongside methods for testing these games with objective indicators of efficacy. If the appropriate amount of time and funding is not devoted to the development and evaluation of these games, their promise will be limited.…”