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Can behavior change techniques be delivered via short text messages?
Onur Cem Doğru1, Thomas L Webb2, Paul Norman2
1Department of Psychology, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
Translational Behavioral Medicine
|October 3, 2022
Summary
Short text messages can reliably deliver many behavior change techniques (BCTs). Experts confirmed 66 of 93 messages were understood and applicable, though some BCT clusters proved challenging for SMS delivery.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Science
- Health Communication
- Digital Health
Background:
- Behavior change techniques (BCTs) are crucial for health interventions.
- Cost-effective and reliable delivery of BCTs to large populations remains a challenge.
- Short text messages (SMS) offer a scalable platform for health promotion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the reliability and feasibility of delivering BCTs via SMS.
- To evaluate expert consensus on SMS-based BCT delivery.
- To identify which BCT clusters are best suited for SMS.
Main Methods:
- Developed SMS messages for 93 BCTs from the BCT Taxonomy v1.
- Conducted a Delphi study with 15 experts for coding and rating message effectiveness.
- Analyzed expert agreement on message-to-BCT mapping and perceived applicability/understandability.
Main Results:
- Experts achieved high agreement (66/93 messages) on the intended BCT delivery.
- SMS messages were rated as likely understandable and applicable for various behaviors.
- Certain BCT clusters, like 'Goals and planning,' were easier to convey via SMS than others, such as 'Scheduled consequences.'
Conclusions:
- SMS messaging is a viable and reliable method for delivering a significant portion of BCTs.
- Not all BCTs are equally amenable to SMS delivery; some require different approaches.
- Further research should focus on SMS intervention acceptability and behavioral impact.
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