Personalized interventions for behaviour change: A scoping review of just-in-time adaptive interventions

Ting-Chen Chloe Hsu; Pauline Whelan; Julie Gandrup; Christopher J Armitage; Lis Cordingley; John McBeth

doi:10.1111/bjhp.12766

Personalized interventions for behaviour change: A scoping review of just-in-time adaptive interventions

Br J Health Psychol. 2025 Feb;30(1):e12766. doi: 10.1111/bjhp.12766. Epub 2024 Nov 14.

Authors

Ting-Chen Chloe Hsu¹, Pauline Whelan², Julie Gandrup¹, Christopher J Armitage^{3

4}, Lis Cordingley³, John McBeth^{1

5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
² Centre for Health Informatics, Division of Informatics, Imaging & Data Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
³ Manchester Centre for Health Psychology, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
⁴ NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaboration, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
⁵ The NIHR Manchester Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.
⁶ School of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.

Abstract

Purpose: Examine the development, implementation and evaluation of just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAIs) in behaviour change and evaluate the quality of intervention reporting.

Methods: A scoping review of JITAIs incorporating mobile health (mHealth) technologies to improve health-related behaviours in adults. We searched MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO using terms related to JITAIs, mHealth, behaviour change and intervention methodology. Narrative analysis assessed theoretical foundations, real-time data capturing and processing methods, outcome evaluation and summarized JITAI efficacy. Quality of intervention reporting was assessed using the template for intervention description and replication (TIDieR) checklist.

Results: Sixty-two JITAIs across physical activity, sedentary behaviour, dietary behaviour, substance use, sexual behaviour, fluid intake, treatment adherence, social skills, gambling behaviour and self-management skills were included. The majority (71%) aimed to evaluate feasibility, acceptability and/or usability. Supporting evidence for JITAI development was identified in 46 studies, with 67% applying this to develop tailored intervention content. Over half (55%) relied solely on self-reported data for tailoring, and 13 studies used only passive monitoring data. While data processing methods were commonly reported, 44% did not specify their techniques. 89% of JITAI designs achieved full marks on the TIDieR checklist and provided sufficient details on JITAI components. Overall, JITAIs proved to be feasible, acceptable and user-friendly across behaviours and settings. Randomized trials showed tailored interventions were efficacious, though outcomes varied by behaviour.

Conclusions: JITAIs offer a promising approach to developing personalized interventions, with their potential effects continuously growing. The recommended checklist emphasizes the importance of reporting transparency in establishing robust intervention designs.

Keywords: behaviour change; digital health; just‐in‐time adaptive intervention; mobile health; personalized intervention.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Behavior Therapy / methods
Health Behavior*
Humans
Telemedicine*