Effective behaviour change techniques in health behaviour change interventions: a review of meta-analyses

Abstract

Background: Coding of intervention descriptions for inclusion of specific behaviour change techniques (BCTs) is becoming an increasingly popular means for identifying ‘active ingredients’ of interventions and to inform the design of optimally effective interventions. Methods: An electronic search identified 16 meta-analyses that met the inclusion criteria. Data were extracted from moderator analyses to determine differences in average effect sizes associated with the presence versus absence of each distinct BCT. Findings: The BCTs most commonly reported on were ‘prompt specific goal setting’ (data extracted from 15 meta-analyses; k), ‘prompt barrier identification’ (k=14), ‘prompt self-monitoring of behaviour’ (k=14), ‘provide information on consequences’ (k=13), ‘provide feedback on performance’ (k=13), ‘use of follow-up prompts’ (k=13), ‘plan social support or social change’ (k=13), ‘provide instruction’ (k=12), and ‘prompt review of behavioural goals’ (k=12). Of these, the inclusion of all but one BCT (follow-up prompts) appeared to be associated with larger effect sizes than non-inclusion. Discussion: The results suggest that the inclusion of particular BCTs are likely to increase the effectiveness of interventions, and contribute to the emerging science of behaviour change.