title: Promoting health behaviour in Portuguese children via Short Message Service: The efficacy of a text-messaging programme.
abstract: A Short Message Service programme was adapted to monitor three health behaviours and provide supportive feedback. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme to increase fruit/vegetable consumption and physical activity and to decrease screen time. A total of 139 Portuguese children, aged 8-10 years, grouped by classroom, were randomly assigned to an intervention (8 weeks of monitoring/feedback) or a control condition. Participants had their key behaviours assessed at baseline, post-intervention and follow-up. A three-level hierarchical linear model was developed. Results showed that the monitoring and feedback programme significantly increased fruit and vegetable consumption over time.
authors.affiliation: Psychotherapy and Psychopathology Research Unit, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Portugal.
authors.forename: Cátia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Psychotherapy and Psychopathology Research Unit, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Portugal James Cook University, Australia.
authors.forename: Daniel B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Fassnacht
authors.affiliation: Psychotherapy and Psychopathology Research Unit, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Portugal.
authors.forename: Kathina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Psychotherapy and Psychopathology Research Unit, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Portugal.
authors.forename: Sónia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Psychotherapy and Psychopathology Research Unit, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Portugal.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Conceição
authors.affiliation: Psychotherapy and Psychopathology Research Unit, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vaz
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Fargo, ND, USA.
authors.forename: Ross D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Crosby
authors.affiliation: Psychotherapy and Psychopathology Research Unit, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Portugal pmachado@psi.uminho.pt.
authors.forename: Paulo P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Machado
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011174:Portugal; D015397:Program Evaluation; D060145:Text Messaging
keywords: children; health promotion; healthy behaviours; technology