Exploring the effectiveness of health behavior interventions and their components for healthy adults

Physical inactivity (insufficient physical activity levels) is a serious public health issue that results in all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Increasing physical activity among the working-age population, which represents ~65% of the total population, is expected to improve health and prevent disease earlier. Numerous intervention studies have been conducted to increase physical activity levels.

In a study appearing in Behavioral Sciences, researchers from the University of Tsukuba systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed the effectiveness of physical activity promotion interventions and their components for healthy adults in published studies.

Specifically, they identified and evaluated the effectiveness of the intervention components based on the behavior change techniques taxonomy, a reliable and standardized classification of techniques used in interventions that aim to change behavior.

Using two literature databases (PubMed and Ichu-shi Web), a total of 116 randomized controlled trials related to exercise or physical activity that targeted healthy adults aged 18–65 years and published by May 31, 2024, were included in the analyses.

The meta-analysis results revealed that the effectiveness of physical activity promotion interventions for adults was minimal, suggesting the importance of improving intervention programs. The meta-regression analysis showed that “review behavior goal(s)” was an effective intervention component among the behavioral change techniques used. In addition, several intervention components were identified as potentially effective or inhibitory components.

Developing an intervention program that incorporates the effective and inhibitory intervention components identified in this meta-regression analysis conducted in this study may lead to more efficient strategies for promoting physical activity.