Meta-synthesis of health behavior change meta-analyses.
OBJECTIVE
We integrated and compared meta-analytic findings across diverse behavioral interventions to characterize how well they have achieved change in health behavior.


METHODS
Outcomes from 62 meta-analyses of interventions for change in health behavior were quantitatively synthesized, including 1011 primary-level investigations with 599,559 participants. Content coding suggested 6 behavioral domains: eating and physical activity, sexual behavior, addictive behaviors, stress management, female-specific screening and intervention behaviors, and behaviors involving use of health services.


RESULTS
Behavior change interventions were efficacious (mean effect sizes = 0.08-0.45). Behavior change was more evident in more recent meta-analyses; those that sampled older interventions and literatures or sampled more published articles; those that included studies that relied on self-report, used briefer interventions, or sampled fewer, older, or female participants; and in some domains (e.g., stress management) more than others (e.g., sexual behaviors).


CONCLUSIONS
Interventions improved health-related behaviors; however, efficacy varied as a function of participant and intervention characteristics. This meta-synthesis provides information about the efficacy of behavioral change interventions across health domains and populations; this knowledge can inform the design and development of public health interventions and future meta-analyses of these studies.
Johnson
Blair T
BT
Center for Health, Intervention, and Prevention, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-1248, USA. blair.t.johnson@uconn.edu
Scott-Sheldon
Lori A J
LA
Carey
Michael P
MP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult