Computerised decision support in physical activity interventions: A systematic literature review.

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Behavioral Science
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Regular physical activity is crucial for health and quality of life.
• Emerging technologies offer potential for computerised decision support and coaching in physical activity interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent research on computerised decision support for physical activity interventions.
• To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of these interventions in healthy and diseased individuals.
• To identify challenges and future research directions.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies from PubMed and Scopus databases.
• Synthesis of interventions based on target user group, technology, decision-support features, theoretical models, study design, outcomes, participant engagement, and follow-up duration.
• Included 24 studies utilizing computerised decision support in real-life contexts.

Main Results:

• Interventions primarily targeted sedentary healthy individuals (29%) and patients with prediabetes/diabetes (17%).
• Positive effects observed include increased physical activity (100%), weight loss (75%), and reduced glycosylated hemoglobin (66%).
• Personalized goal-setting (67%) and motivational feedback (63%) were common features, while integration with electronic health records (13%) and caregiver alerts (17%) were less frequent. Theoretical models were often unreported (58%).

Conclusions:

• Computerised decision support interventions show potential for promoting physical activity and improving health outcomes.
• Further research should emphasize objective activity measurement via sensing devices, integration with clinical systems, and robust theoretical frameworks for evidence-based interventions.