Identifying behaviour change techniques within precision health interventions that use continuous glucose monitoring: a secondary analysis of a scoping review
Bibliographic record
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is increasingly being used within precision health interventions to motivate behaviour change. However, there is considerable variability and complexity in the design of behaviour change interventions that incorporate CGM-based biofeedback, making it challenging to disentangle the intervention components that are driving intervention effects. The objective of this review is to identify the behaviour change techniques and mechanisms of action commonly implemented alongside CGM-based biofeedback. METHODS: We conducted secondary analyses of a scoping review to identify health behaviour interventions (RCTs) that provided CGM-based biofeedback to promote behaviour change in adults. Two researchers applied the 93-item Behaviour Change Techniques (BCT) Taxonomy (v1) to independently code intervention content in all trial arms (i.e., intervention and comparison arms) dependent upon their targeted behaviour of CGM use, glucometer use, diet, physical activity, or medication adherence. BCTs were analysed individually and according to their corresponding category. We performed univariate linear regression analyses to examine whether the presence of individual BCTs and target behaviours influenced pre-post changes in HbA1c within CGM-based intervention arms. RESULTS: Thirty-one RCTs comprising 35 intervention arms and 29 comparison arms were included. Theory was reported in 4 studies (13%), most commonly Self-Efficacy Theory. Mechanisms of action (MoAs) were specified in 5 studies (16%), typically targeting beliefs about capabilities. We identified 40 (of 93 possible) unique BCTs, with intervention arms employing an average of 7.1 BCTs (SD: 4.8) compared to 5.3 BCTs (SD: 4.3) in comparison arms. The most frequently implemented BCT categories in CGM-based biofeedback interventions were 'Feedback and monitoring' (n = 35/35, 100%), 'Shaping knowledge' (n = 28/35, 80%), and 'Social support' (n = 22/35, 63%). Commonly used BCTs supporting CGM use and promoting dietary and physical activity changes included 'Biofeedback' (n = 35/35; 100%), 'Instruction on how to perform the behaviour' (n = 19/35; 54%), and 'Credible source' (n = 14/35; 40%). Univariate linear regressions did not identify any individual BCTs or targeted behaviours that significantly moderated HbA1c outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: RCTs using CGM to change behaviour in adult populations include a range of BCTs, focusing predominantly on BCTs that support the implementation of CGM itself. Future research should examine whether BCTs operate through distinct MoAs when supporting CGM uptake and use versus when promoting broader health behaviour change in conjunction with CGM-based biofeedback.
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How this classification was reachedexpand
Full frame machine prediction
Teacher imitationNot calibrated prevalence, not ground truth. Human validation pending. The Gemma side is a direct model label for every work in the frame, read from the title-only record. The Codex side is a classifier learned from the 10,348 direct Codex labels and calibrated to design-weighted sample rates; fields without enough sample support carry no Codex call. Candidate is the union of the two sides; consensus is their intersection. These outputs are machine_predicted_unvalidated and are not human labels.
Distilled classifier scores by category (both heads)
| Category | Codex | Gemma |
|---|---|---|
| Metaresearch | 0.137 | 0.358 |
| Meta-epidemiology (narrow) | 0.002 | 0.002 |
| Meta-epidemiology (broad) | 0.010 | 0.016 |
| Bibliometrics | 0.030 | 0.026 |
| Science and technology studies | 0.002 | 0.002 |
| Scholarly communication | 0.006 | 0.004 |
| Open science | 0.003 | 0.005 |
| Research integrity | 0.003 | 0.002 |
| Insufficient payload (model declined to judge) | 0.004 | 0.001 |
Machine scores (provisional)
The two teacher heads of the student model, read on this work. A score orders the frame for review; it never asserts a category, and the validation status ships verbatim with every row.
Baseline scores from an immature model (maturity gate not passed, 7 training rounds). Scores rank; they never assert a category.
score_only:v0-immature-baseline · verbatim from the scoring run: score_only means the number may rank works, and no category label ships from itClassification
machine, unvalidatedMachine predicted; a candidate call from one source (direct Gemma or distilled Codex), not a consensus.
How this classification was reached, model by model and score by score, is at the end of the page under "How this classification was reached".