Nudging Health Behavior Change Among Home-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Patients: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Rehabilitation
• Behavioral Science
• Health Technology

Background:

• Nudging is increasingly used in home-based cardiac rehabilitation to encourage behavior change.
• Existing literature on nudging strategies is fragmented, lacking comprehensive reviews.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify nudging interventions for health behavior change in home-based cardiac rehabilitation.
• To analyze the scope, characteristics, and delivery of these interventions.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review was conducted from July to September 2023.
• Searches were performed in PubMed, Web of Science, and OVID databases.
• Key information on nudge interventions was extracted from 25 included studies.

Main Results:

• The majority of studies (21/25) reported positive outcomes with nudging strategies.
• Fourteen distinct nudging strategies were identified, with goal setting, feedback, and reminders being most common.
• Nudges were classified using active/passive and synchronous/asynchronous dimensions; digital nudging with gamification shows future potential.

Conclusions:

• Nudging strategies demonstrate varied objectives and implementation methods in cardiac rehabilitation.
• While widely adopted, pinpointing the specific effective components of nudging interventions remains a challenge.