Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Objective
To examine acceptability, attrition, adherence, and preliminary efficacy of mobile phone short message service (SMS; text messaging) for monitoring healthful behaviors in children.Design
All randomized children received a brief psychoeducational intervention. They then either monitored target behaviors via SMS with feedback or via paper diaries (PD) or participated in a no-monitoring control (C) for 8 weeks.Setting
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.Participants
Fifty-eight children (age 5-13) and parents participated; 31 completed (SMS: 13/18, PD: 7/18, C: 11/22).Intervention
Children and parents participated in a total of 3 group education sessions (1 session weekly for 3 weeks) to encourage increasing physical activity and decreasing screen time and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption.Main outcome measures
Treatment acceptability, attrition, and adherence to self-monitoring.Analysis
Descriptive statistics and nonparametric tests were used to analyze differences across time and group.Results
Children in SMS had somewhat lower attrition (28%) than both PD (61%) and C (50%), and significantly greater adherence to self-monitoring than PD (43% vs 19%, P < .02).Conclusions and implications
Short message service may be a useful tool for self-monitoring healthful behaviors in children, although the efficacy of this approach needs further study. Implications suggest that novel technologies may play a role in improving health.
SUBMITTER: Shapiro JR
PROVIDER: S-EPMC2592683 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Nov-Dec
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Shapiro Jennifer R JR Bauer Stephanie S Hamer Robert M RM Kordy Hans H Ward Dianne D Bulik Cynthia M CM
Journal of nutrition education and behavior 20081101 6
<h4>Objective</h4>To examine acceptability, attrition, adherence, and preliminary efficacy of mobile phone short message service (SMS; text messaging) for monitoring healthful behaviors in children.<h4>Design</h4>All randomized children received a brief psychoeducational intervention. They then either monitored target behaviors via SMS with feedback or via paper diaries (PD) or participated in a no-monitoring control (C) for 8 weeks.<h4>Setting</h4>University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.<h4 ...[more]