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Behavior Change Techniques in Digital Health Interventions for Promoting Adolescent Health Behaviors: Systematic
Nikolaos Boumparis1, Philippe de Riedmatten1, Katrina Champion2,3
1Swiss Research Institute for Public Health and Addiction, University of Zurich, Konradstrasse 32, Zurich, 8005, Switzerland, +41444481173.
JMIR Mental Health
|May 8, 2026
Summary
Digital health interventions (DHIs) show promise for adolescent health. "Social support" is a key behavior change technique (BCT), especially with family involvement, improving outcomes across various health domains.
Area of Science:
- Adolescent Health
- Digital Health Interventions
- Behavior Change Techniques
Background:
- Fragmented evidence exists on the effectiveness of digital health interventions (DHIs) using behavior change techniques (BCTs) for adolescent health behaviors.
- Existing systematic reviews need synthesis to understand DHI effectiveness across diverse health domains.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically synthesize evidence from existing systematic reviews on the effectiveness of BCTs within DHIs for adolescent health behaviors.
- To identify key health behavior domains and effective BCTs for adolescents aged 10-19 years.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a systematic umbrella review of DHIs for adolescents (10-19 years).
- Searched major databases (PubMed, PsycInfo, Embase, CINAHL) in April 2024.
- Coded BCTs using the Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy version 1 (BCTTv1) and assessed review quality using AMSTAR-2.
Main Results:
- Included 20 reviews covering physical activity, diet, alcohol, tobacco use, and obesity.
- 65% of reviews reported statistically significant positive effects on at least one health behavior.
- "Social support (unspecified)" was the most effective BCT, particularly with parental/peer involvement; "self-monitoring," "goal setting," and "feedback" were also common in successful interventions.
Conclusions:
- "Social support (unspecified)" is a consistently effective BCT for adolescent health behaviors, enhanced by family engagement.
- Intervention success hinges on strategic, individualized BCT selection rather than the number of techniques used.
- Future research should explore effective social support delivery, BCTs for smoking cessation, and long-term impacts.
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