Table 2.
Intervention types and outcomes for included studies
| Author, year | Intervention type | Study duration | Description of intervention | Behaviour change techniques (BCTs) | Approaches to measurement of engagement/adherence | Control group treatment | Outcomes measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bantum, 2014 [61] | Online workshop (website) | 6 months | 6-week online course providing information, skill building, weekly action plans, social networking and peer support, exercise logs, relaxation exercises | 1.1 Goal setting (behaviour) 1.2 Problem solving 1.4 Action planning 2.3 Self-monitoring of behaviour 3.1 Social support (unspecified) 9.1 Credible source |
Mean (SD) online sessions attended was 5.3 (1.28) 67% attended all 6 sessions 86.8% attended >4 sessions |
Waitlist control | PA, diet, fatigue, depression, insomnia |
| Berg, 2014 [62] | Emails + associated website | 12 weeks | Biweekly emails to deliver module content and website provides graphical depictions of participant-reported health behaviours and health information. | 2.2 Feedback on behaviour 2.3 Self-monitoring of behaviour Participants also offered deals for healthy goods/services in local area for completing self-monitoring (regardless of behaviour reported) |
Completion of self-monitoring (‘check-in assessment’) over the 12-module period (6 weeks) fell from 91.7 to 66.7% | N/A | PA, SE, alcohol consumption, smoking |
| Forbes, 2015 [63] | Online workshop (website) | 10 weeks | 9-week workshop to deliver content (e.g. dispelling PA myths, exercising safely, planning/making SMART goals). Website used to log/monitor PA and email feedback. | 2.2 Feedback on behaviour 2.3 Self-monitoring of behaviour 5.1 Information about health consequences 6.2 Social comparison 9.1 Credible source 10.4 Social reward |
Percentage of completed modules fell from 50% (week 1) to 10% (week 9) 94% logged in at least once, 85% recorded PA at least once, 67% viewed modules at least once |
Waitlist control | PA, QoL (cancer-specific), QoL (generic), fatigue |
| Hatchett, 2013 [55] | Email + access to e-counsellor | 12 weeks | Emails designed to increase PA by influencing SCT variables. E-counsellor offered tailored PA advice and encouraged participant engagement with intervention. | 1.1 Goal setting (behaviour) 1.2 Problem solving 2.3 Self-monitoring of behaviour 3.1 Social support (unspecified) 9.1 Credible source 13.5 Identity associated with changed behaviour |
Not measured/reported | Waitlist control | PA, SE, self-regulation, OE value, exercise role identity |
| Hoffman, 2014 [64] | Nintendo Wii Fit Plus | 16 weeks | Virtual walking environment with gradual increase in target walking time. Three Wii Fit Plus balance exercises per day were also recommended. | 1.1 Goal setting (behaviour) 1.5 Review behaviour goals 2.3 Self-monitoring of behaviour 8.7 Graded tasks 9.1 Credible source 12.5 Adding objects to the environment |
Mean (SD) adherence rate to intervention at end of study was 87.6% (12.2%) | N/A | PA, fatigue, SE |
| Hong, 2015 [65] | Mobile-enabled website | 8–12 weeks | Website used for goal setting, activity tracking, personalised feedback and progress reviews, social networking, tips on healthy living and links to reliable health information | 1.1 Goal setting (behaviour) 1.4 Action planning 1.5 Review behaviour goals 1.6 Discrepancy between current behaviour and goal 2.2 Feedback on behaviour 2.3 Self-monitoring of behaviour 3.1 Social support (unspecified) 5.1 Information about health consequences 9.1 Credible source |
Website use: 12% once/fortnight; 62% once/week; 19% 2–3 times/week 8% 4–5 times/week |
N/A | PA, QoL (generic) |
| Kanera, 2016 [71] | Online workshop (website) | 6 months | Automated system to evaluate baseline assessment and select personalised intervention components using ‘if-then’ algorithms. Users are recommended modules based on assessments but have access to all 8 modules. | 1.1 Goal setting (behaviour) 1.2 Problem solving 1.4 Action planning 1.5 Review behaviour goals 1.6 Discrepancy between current behaviour and goal 2.2 Feedback on behaviour 2.3 Self-monitoring of behaviour 3.1 Social support (unspecified) 5.1 Information about health consequences 6.2 Social comparison 7.1 Prompts/cues 8.2 Behaviour substitution 9.1 Credible source 9.2 Pros and cons 11.2 Reduce negative emotions 13.2 Framing/reframing |
Specific modules were recommended to participants based on current behaviours from 8 modules in total. Participants followed mean (SD) 2.23 (1.58) modules. 25% participants followed PA module, and 62% followed diet module. | Waitlist control | PA, diet, smoking |
| Kuijpers, 2016 [66] | Online portal (website) | 4 months | Offers personalised education materials, overview of appointments, access to EMR. Tailored PA support based on clinical characteristics, PA levels and motivation. | 1.1 Goal setting (behaviour) 2.2 Feedback on behaviour 2.3 Self-monitoring of behaviour 6.2 Social comparison 9.1 Credible source |
Website logins ranged from 0 to 62, and duration of use ranged from 2 to 38 min. Participants on treatment (M = 10.9 logins) used the website more often than off-treatment (M = 5.6 logins) participants but those who were off treatment had a longer mean duration (15.2 min) of log in compared to those on treatment (11.3 min) | N/A | PA, QoL (generic), SE |
| Lee, 2014 [67] | Website + text messaging | 12 weeks | Website used for assessment, education, tailored information provision and action planning (goal setting, scheduling, monitoring and automatic feedback). Daily automatic feedback provided on recommended and actual behaviours | 1.1 Goal setting (behaviour) 1.4 Action planning 1.6 Discrepancy between current behaviour and goal 2.2 Feedback on behaviour 2.3 Self-monitoring of behaviour 5.1 Information about health consequences 5.6 Information about emotional consequences 7.1 Prompts/cues 9.1 Credible source |
Not measured/reported | 50-page booklet on exercise/diet | PA, diet, QoL (cancer-specific), fatigue, anxiety, depression, SE |
| McCarroll, 2015 [68] | Mobile app | 4 weeks | Participants log nutrition/PA through app which provided real-time personalised feedback. Limited carbohydrate intake to <70 g/day and increase fibre intake to 30 g/day. | 1.1 Goal setting (behaviour) 1.3 Goal setting (outcome) 2.2 Feedback on behaviour 2.3 Self-monitoring of behaviour 2.4 Self-monitoring of outcomes of behaviour 3.1 Social support (unspecified) 7.1 Prompts/cues 9.1 Credible source 15.1 Verbal persuasion about capability |
Not measured/reported | N/A | PA, diet, QoL (cancer-specific), SE, weight, waist circumference, BMI |
| Puszkiewicz2016 [69] | Mobile app | 6 weeks | Tailored PA programme using video demonstrations is recommended based on users’ preferred PA goals, duration, type and difficulty of PA. | 1.1 Goal setting 1.4 Action planning 2.2 Feedback on behaviour 2.3 Self-monitoring of behaviour 4.1 Instruction on how to perform a behaviour 6.1 Demonstration of the behaviour 7.1 Prompts/cues 8.7 Graded tasks 10.4 Social reward |
Participants used app mean (SD) of 2.07 (0.68) times per week. Mean (SD) session duration was 25.08 (8.22) minutes. Mean (SD) app use duration was 44.00 min (20.50) per week (range 24.50–91.00 min). | N/A | PA, QoL (cancer-specific and generic), fatigue, BMI, anxiety, depression, sleep quality |
| Quintiliani, 2016 [70] | Text messaging + Fitbit + telephone counselling | 10 weeks | Text messages assess participants’ dietary intake, and Fitbit assesses weight and step count. Four technology-assisted telephone calls (based on PA, sleep and 2 nutrition-related topics) were guided by motivational interviewing | 1.1 Goal setting (behaviour) 1.5 Review behaviour goals 1.6 Discrepancy between current behaviour and goal 2.2 Feedback on behaviour 2.3 Self-monitoring of behaviour 2.4 Self-monitoring of outcome of behaviour 7.1 Prompts/cues 9.1 Credible source |
Of 70 opportunities (7 days/week × 10 weeks), mean (SD) responses to text messages was 60 (13), recording a step measurement was 64 (7), recording a weight measurement was 45 (24) and recording a sleep measurement was 43 (19). All participants completed all 4 counselling calls. | N/A | PA, diet, fatigue, perceived stress, SE, weight |
| Rabin, 2012 [54] | Website | 12 weeks | PA manual provided matched with participants’ ‘stage of change’ and responses to questionnaires on the website. Website also enabled participant to set PA goals and log PA | 1.1 Goal setting (behaviour) 2.2 Feedback on behaviour 2.3 Self-monitoring of behaviour 3.1 Social support (unspecified) 5.1 Information about health consequences 9.1 Credible source |
Mean (SD) website login was 14.75 (8.46). Mean (SD) number of days participants logged PA was 11.38 (7.93), used goal setting feature was 5.25 (4.17), used stage-based manual was 3.13 (2.17), accessed PA-related information was 1.25 (1.28), accessed PA resources was 0.88 (1.13) and accessed PA tips was 0.50 (1.07). | Provided with 3 cancer + survivorship websites | PA, fatigue, POMS, |
| Short, 2016 [72] | Online workshop (website) | 12 weeks | 3 online modules delivered with a combination of non-tailored information (PA guidelines, increasing motivation and preventing relapse) and tailored support (e.g. based on current PA, outcome expectations, health status, eliciting social support, overcoming barriers, action planning) | 1.1 Goal setting (behaviour) 1.2 Problem solving 1.4 Action planning 1.5 Review behaviour goals 1.6 Discrepancy between current behavioural and goal 2.2 Feedback on behaviour 2.3 Self-monitoring of behaviour 3.1 Social support (unspecified) 4.1 Instruction on how to perform a behaviour 5.1 Information about health consequences 5.2 Salience of consequences 7.1 Prompts/cues 8.7 Graded tasks 9.1 Credible source |
Mean (SD) website usage duration was 61.1 min (80.1) (range 0–550 min). Mean (SD) website login was 5.18 (8.48) (range 1–45). All participants viewed at least one module. 85% in the weekly module group and 73% in the monthly module group viewed all 3 modules. 60% of the weekly module group completed 2 (of 3) modules compared to 46% of the monthly module group. 75% of participants completed at least one action plan. 91.7% in the monthly module group completed 2 action plans compared to 71.7% in weekly module group. | N/A | PA |
| Valle, 2013 [53] | Facebook support group + website | 12 weeks | Weekly messages (sent via Facebook) and group administrator posted discussions within the group throughout intervention. Participants also had access to website for goal setting and PA diary and pedometers to measure steps. | 1.1 Goal setting (behaviour) 1.2 Problem solving 1.6 Discrepancy between current behavioural and goal 2.2 Feedback on behaviour 2.3 Self-monitoring of behaviour 3.1 Social support (unspecified) 5.1 Information about health consequences 9.1 Credible source 12.5 Adding objects to the environment |
Intervention participants posted a total of 153 Facebook comments to group wall compared to 188 comments in control group. 49% of participants in both groups made >2 Facebook posts in the study period. Intervention participants set a mean of 4.2 goals, and submitted a mean of 21.9 PA entries and 13.1 steps entries. 71% tracked PA data at least once. Proportion of participants logging either PA or steps declined from 57.8% in week 1 to 24.4% in week 12. | Basic Facebook group membership | PA, QoL (cancer-specific), BMI |
aShort et al. (2016) is treated as a pre-post study due to the lack of a control group across the three intervention arms (single module, three weekly modules, three monthly modules)
PA physical activity, SE self-efficacy, SMART specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely, SCT social cognitive theory, OE outcome expectancy, QoL quality of life, EMR electronic medical record