Introduction: Young adults are on a weight gain trajectory, and have high prevalence of behavioural risk factors such as poor diet, risky alcohol use, physical inactivity and smoking tobacco. eHealth has potential to reach and engage young adults in interventions given their high use of technologies. This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of eHealth behavioural interventions targeting smoking, nutrition, alcohol, physical activity and/or obesity (SNAPO) in young adults.
Methods: Seven electronic databases were searched for randomised controlled trials published in English from 2000 to April 2015, evaluating eHealth interventions that targeted young adults (18-35 years) with the aim of changing one or multiple SNAPO outcomes. Two authors independently screened abstracts and full-text articles for inclusion and extracted data.
Results: Of 2159 articles identified, 49 were included. Most studies (n=43) focused on one behaviour. In total 29 studies aimed to change alcohol, 11 physical activity, 8 smoking, 7 obesity and 6 nutrition outcomes. A variety of eHealth delivery modes were utilised across studies (e.g. websites, emails, text messages, mobile applications, and alternate reality games), with websites most prevalent. Most (41%) studies evaluated brief single occasion interventions, whilst others ranged from 1 to 78 weeks. Most studies compared eHealth interventions to control (e.g. waiting-list control, minimal intervention), with approximately half showing a positive effect of the eHealth intervention on SNAPO outcomes at follow-up. Six obesity studies compared an eHealth intervention to control, with three demonstrating greater improvements in obesity related outcomes in the eHealth group at post-intervention, and three finding no between group differences.
Conclusion: This review demonstrates the potential of eHealth technologies to improve SNAPO outcomes in young adults. Heterogeneity across studies makes determination of the most effective eHealth technology for young adults difficult, as well as whether modification of certain SNAPO outcomes are better suited to an eHealth approach.