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. 2025 Jul 21;27:e71982. doi: 10.2196/71982

Table 2.

Theories and domains applied in the studies.

Study Theory Construct or domain of messages
Mulvaney et al [35], 2012 a
  • Total number of messages: 595

  • Domains: 9

  • Burnout and stress, sports and exercise, communication, social support and stigma, social situations, time pressure and planning, reminders, carbohydrates, and autonomy support

Osborn and Mulvaney [36], 2013
  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 17

  • Barriers to accessing medications (10-13 items), believing medications are not important (10-13 items), believing medications are harmful (10-13 items), complexity of regimen (10-13 items), cost of medications (10-13 items), decision to omit doses (10-13 items), experiencing side effects (10-13 items), fear of dependence (10-13 items), fear of side effects (10-13 items), feeling stigmatized (10-13 items), forgetfulness (10-13 items), lack of belief in the benefits of medications (10-13 items), lack of information about medications, lack of motivation to take medications (10-13 items), lack of social support (10-13 items), lack of diabetes symptoms (10-13 items), and tired of taking medications (10-13 items)

Arora et al [37], 2014
  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 4

  • Educational or motivational (1 per d), medication reminders (3 per wk), healthy living challenges (2 per wk), and trivia (2 per wk)

Bobrow et al [38], 2014
  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 7

  • Behavioral change taxonomy (4 domains): goals and planning (2 items), repetition and substitution (3 items), social support (2 items), and natural consequences (1 item)

  • Contextual messages (3 domains, send when appropriate to the context): appointment reminder SMS text messages (1 item), in response to missing a scheduled appointment (1 item), and messages related to specific issues (3 items)

Gatwood et al [39], 2014
  • Health beliefs model

  • Self-determination theory

  • Total number of messages: 296

  • Domains: 7

  • Severity (low and high), susceptibility (low and high), barriers (low and high), benefits (low and high), competence (low, medium, and high), motivation (low, medium, and high), and regulation (low, medium, and high)

Islam et al [40], 2014
  • Behavioral learning theory

  • Transtheoretical model of behavioral change

  • Total number of messages: 90

  • Domains: —

Buis et al [41], 2015
  • Theory of self-regulation framework

  • Health belief model

  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 3

  • Medication reminder, educational message, and satisfaction assessment

Bobrow et al [42], 2016
  • Behavior change techniques

  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 16

  • Repetition and substitution (4 domains): habit formation, behavior substitution, behavioral rehearsal or practice, and generalization of a target behavior

  • Natural consequences (3 domains): health consequences, salience of consequences, and anticipated regret

  • Goals and planning (6 domains): action planning, problem-solving, commitment, goal setting (outcome), behavioral contract, and review of behavior goals

  • Social support (3 domains): practical, general, and emotional

Farris et al [43], 2016
  • Total number of messages: 130

  • Domains: 5

  • Disease beliefs (30 items), medication necessity (30 items), medication concerns (30 items), forgetfulness (30 items), and positive reinforcement (10 items)

Nelson et al [22], 2016
  • Information-motivation-behavioral skills model

  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 8

  • Medication adherence (3 per wk), medication regimen-specific (1 per wk), exercise (1 per wk), diet (1 per wk), SMBGb (1 per wk), daily text assessing adherence (1 per d), weekly text providing feedback (1 per wk), and A1Cc test (after A1C test)

Abaza and Marschollek [44], 2017
  • Total number of messages: 84

  • Domains: 7

  • Diabetes knowledge and effects on social and personal life (sent on Saturdays), diet (sent on Sundays), physical activity (sent on Mondays), smoking, foot care, and diabetes complications (sent on Tuesdays), medications and side effects (sent on Wednesdays), tests and blood sugar measurement (sent on Thursdays), and hyper- and hypoglycemia (sent on Fridays)

Haramiova et al [45], 2017
  • Total number of messages: 1

  • Domains: 1

  • SMS text messaging reminder

Huo et al [46], 2017
  • Information-motivation-behavioral skills model

  • CHATd trial

  • Total number of messages: 280

  • Domains: 5

  • General education (CVDe; 2 per wk), blood pressure control (2 per wk), medication adherence (1 per wk), physical activity (1 per wk), and smoking cessation (1 per wk; only smoking user received)

  • CHAT-DMf trial

  • Total number of messages: 270

  • Domains: 6

  • General education (CVD; 1 per wk), blood pressure control (1 per wk), medication adherence (1 per wk), physical activity (1 per wk), 2-way diabetes management (1 per wk), and lifestyle intervention (1 per wk)

Varleta et al [47], 2017
  • Social cognitive theory

  • Total number of messages: 15

  • Domains: —

Bobrow et al [48], 2018
  • I-Change model

  • Behavior change techniques

  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 4

  • Repetition and substitution, natural consequences, goals and planning, and social support

Prayaga et al [49], 2018
  • Total number of messages: 22

  • Domains: 3

  • Refill reminders (7 items), actions for missed refills (6 items), and others (9 items)

Angellotti et al [50], 2019
  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 3

  • Exercise, diet, and medication adherence

Bartlett et al [51], 2019
  • Behavior change techniques

  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 15

  • Goals and planning, feedback and monitoring, social support, shaping knowledge, natural consequences, comparison of behavior, associations presented together with antecedents, repetition and substitution, comparison of outcomes, reward and threat, regulation, identity, self-belief, dealing with side effects, and concerns with health care system and medications

Farmer et al [52], 2019
  • Behavior change techniques

  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 3

  • Medication, diet and exercise, and belief

Gong et al [53], 2019
  • Health belief model

  • Transtheoretical model

  • Behavior change techniques

  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 6

  • Management of metabolic risk factors, medication adherence, tobacco and alcohol control, dietary change, exercise and rehabilitation, and psychological support

Huo et al [54], 2019
  • Behavioral change techniques

  • Total number of messages: 270

  • Domains: 6

  • General education (CVD; 1 per wk), blood pressure control (1 per wk), medication adherence (1 per wk), physical activity (1 per wk), 2-way diabetes management (1 per wk), and lifestyle intervention (1 per wk)

Kassavou et al [55], 2019
  • Behavioral change techniques

  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 3

  • Patient and public involvement and engagement messages (2 domains): hospital open event and science festival

  • Examples of intentional nonadherence and nonintentional nonadherence tailoring messages

Waller et al [56], 2019
  • COM-Bg model

  • Behavioral change techniques

  • Total number of messages: 151

  • Domains: 6

  • Nutrition (47 items), physical activity (47 items), diabetes care (26 items), weight management (13 items), medication adherence (9 items), and smoking cessation (9 items)

Zheng et al [57], 2019
  • Behavioral change techniques

  • Total number of messages: 280

  • Domains: 5

  • General education (CVD; 2 per wk), blood pressure control (2 per wk), medication adherence (1 per wk), physical activity (1 per wk), and smoking cessation (1 per wk; only smoking user received)

Adu et al [58], 2020
  • Information-motivation-behavioral skills model

  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 7

  • DMh self-management (6 domains): what is diabetes? health food choices, physical activity, medication use, monitoring blood glucose, and reducing the risk of complications

  • Semipersonalized messages based on input health data

Bartlett et al [59], 2020
  • Behavioral change techniques

  • Concern and beliefs

  • Total number of messages: 306

  • Domains: 34

  • Content related (3 domains): medication adherence, beliefs and concerns, and diet management

  • Theory related (31 domains): problem-solving, action planning, self-monitoring of behavior, social support (unspecified), social support (practical), social support (emotional), information about antecedents, information about social and environmental consequences, anticipated regret, information about emotional consequences, social comparison, information about others’ approval, prompts or cues, habit formation, credible source, pros and cons, comparative imaginings of future outcomes, social reward, reduce negative emotions, restructuring the physical environment, identity associated with changed behavior, verbal persuasion about capability, mental rehearsal of successful performance, self-talk, difficulties with side effects, difficulties remembering and understanding the medication regimen, beliefs around medication in general and Western medicines specifically, perceived risks of taking medication, beliefs about medication necessity, social influence around taking medications, and health care system–related concerns

Bhandari et al [60], 2020
  • COM-B model

  • Behavioral change techniques

  • Total number of messages: 36 to 40

  • Domains: 4

  • Literacy of hypertension and its treatment, beliefs about the consequences of diseases or faith in traditional medicine or local herbs, nonadherence or forgetting to take medicine, and resistance to behavior modification or unhealthy habits

Champoux et al [61], 2020
  • Social cognitive theory

  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 3

  • Healthy behavior (1 per wk), blood pressure self-monitoring (1 per wk), facilitated appointment and transportation (1 per mo)

Jahan et al [62], 2020
  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 5

  • Reduce sodium intake (salt), avoid eating oily and fatty foods, eat more fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly, and take your medicine regularly

Kundury and Hathur [63], 2020
  • Total number of messages: 6

  • Domains: —

Li et al [64], 2020
  • Self-determination theory

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy

  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 6

  • Medicine, motivation, nutrition, activeness, coping strategies, and weight management

Owolabi et al [65], 2020
  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 5

  • Core messages, healthy eating, stress and mood management message, exercise, and reminders

Sadanshiv et al [66], 2020
  • Transtheoretical model

  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 2

  • Diet control and exercise

Schoenthaler et al [67], 2020
  • Technology acceptance model

  • COM-B model

  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 5

  • Completion-based (first wk, first mo, and third mo), response-based (1 per wk), activity-based (1 per wk), combination of response-based, and individual

Zhai et al [68], 2020
  • Total number of messages: 30

  • Domains: 3

  • Knowledge about hypertension, lifestyle modifications, and measures to improve medication adherence

Campos et al [69], 2021
  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 2

  • Adherence checkpoint and self-monitoring phase

Farmer et al [70], 2021
  • COM-B model

  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 2

  • Medication and healthy lifestyle and enhancing well-being

Lauffenburger et al [71], 2021
  • Total number of messages: 128

  • Domains: 5

  • Framing: classified as neutral, positive, or negative; and observed feedback, whereby the SMS text message included the number of days in the previous week that patients had evidence of medication-taking (ie, 0-7), social reinforcement (ie, mentioning loved ones in the text), the nature of the content, either providing a medication reminder or information about medications or lifestyle, and reflection, where the texts were designed to invoke introspection, such as including a reflective question

Leon et al [72], 2021
  • COM-B model

  • Behavior change techniques

  • Total number of messages: 156 diabetes content-related messages and 16 trial-related messages

  • Domains: 4

  • Content related (2 domains): enhance medical adherence (ie, medication collection, medical appointment, taking the medication regularly, and medical adherence support), and enhance general health and well-being (ie, general health and well-being, exercise, nutrition and health, smoking and drinking, and stress management)

  • Theory related (2 domains): COM-B, and behavior change techniques

Sharp et al [73], 2021
  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 7

  • Medication reminder, refill reminder, appointment reminder, goal monitoring, glucose monitoring, self-efficacy, and motivation

Bartlett et al [74], 2022
  • Behavior change techniques

  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 16

  • Content related (2 domains): medication adherence based on behavior change techniques and diet and physical activity

  • Theory related (14 domains): action self-efficacy, necessity, concerns, intention, automaticity, maintenance self-efficacy, recovery self-efficacy, action planning, coping planning, action control, prompts and cues, social support, satisfaction with experienced consequences, and risk perception

Bhandari et al [75], 2022
  • COM-B model

  • Behavior change techniques

  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 9

  • Content related (7 domains): literacy, beliefs of disease, faith in herbs, nonadherence, forgetting, dietary, resistance to behavior change, and stigma

  • Theory related (2 domains): COM-B and matched items from the behavior change techniques

Farmer et al [76], 2022
  • Behavior change techniques

  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 3

  • Medication adherence, beliefs and concerns, and diet management

Kershaw et al [77], 2022
  • Total number of messages: 65

  • Domains: 3

  • Educational or motivational medication reminder messages (32 items), general health information messages (32 items), and 2-way messages—asking about mood (1 item)

Levin et al [78], 2022
  • Attitude-social influence-efficacy theoretical model

  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 12

  • Hypertension knowledge, bipolar knowledge, benefits of blood pressure medication, benefits of bipolar medication, making peace with medication, social support, self-efficacy, medication routines, spiritual, self-esteem, social comparison, and custom

Mandal et al [79], 2022
  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 6

  • Sleep quality, physical activities, medication adherence, healthy eating, living goals, and diabetes control

Philis-Tsimikas et al [80], 2022
  • Operant conditioning

  • Social cognitive theory

  • Social ecologic model

  • Theory of planned behavior

  • Transtheoretical model or stages of change

  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 5

  • Clinical Indicators (goals and planning), medication (social support), nutrition (antecedents), physical activity (shaping knowledge), and well-being (regulation)

Van Emmenis et al [81], 2022
  • Perceptions and practicalities approach

  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 4

  • Medication reminder, feedback, information, and support

Asgary et al [82], 2023
  • Social cognitive theory

  • Self-determination theory

  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 3

  • Knowledge (knowledge, barriers, and self-sufficiency), motivation (motivation, importance, and social support), maintenance (goals, self-monitoring, and self-efficacy)

SPRINT INDIA trial collaborators [83], 2023
  • Total number of messages: 68

  • Domains: 3

  • Physical activity, blood pressure control, and diabetes control

Zamanillo-Campos et al [84], 2023
  • Behavior change techniques

  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 7

  • Diabetes knowledge, medication, physical activity, healthy diet, prevention of overweight, healthy diet, and reminder

Zamanillo-Campos et al [85], 2024
  • Behavior change wheel framework

  • Total number of messages: —

  • Domains: 6

  • Diabetes knowledge, medication, physical activity, healthy diet, prevention of overweight, and reminder

aNot available.

bSMBG: self-monitoring of blood glucose.

cA1C: glycated hemoglobin.

dCHAT: cardiovascular health and text messaging.

eCVD: cardiovascular disease.

fCHAT-DM: cardiovascular health and text messaging–diabetes mellitus.

gCOM-B: capability, opportunity, motivation, and behavior.

hDM: diabetes mellitus.