Application of Behavior Change Techniques in a Personalized Nutrition Electronic Health Intervention Study: Protocol...

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Science
• Nutritional Science
• Digital Health

Background:

• Standardizing behavior change techniques (BCTs) is crucial for evaluating intervention efficacy.
• Existing BCT frameworks often require adaptation for web-based delivery.
• The Food4Me study offered a large-scale opportunity to apply and refine BCT frameworks for online interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the BCTs used in the Food4Me study and their selection rationale.
• To demonstrate the application of BCT taxonomies in an internet-based intervention.
• To inform future studies by identifying strengths and limitations of the developed framework.

Main Methods:

• A 6-month randomized controlled trial across seven European countries with varying personalization levels.
• A three-phase approach: a priori technique identification, standard operating procedure development, and a posteriori framework review.
• Analysis of included and excluded techniques to understand suitability for internet-based delivery.

Main Results:

• 17 out of 46 a priori identified BCTs were embedded in the intervention (11 dietary, 6 smoking cessation).
• The smoking cessation framework structure was adapted for dietary applications.
• A posteriori, 9 additional techniques were incorporated, highlighting differences between face-to-face and online delivery.

Conclusions:

• Utilizing existing taxonomies effectively facilitated the description and standardization of BCTs in the Food4Me study.
• A priori technique analysis and a posteriori review are recommended for complex, large-scale interventions.
• This study represents a novel application of BCT taxonomies in a remote, internet-based personalized nutrition intervention.