Nutrition and Physical Activity: Worksite Digital Health and Telephone Interventions to Increase Healthy Eating and Physical Activity

Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) (2021)

CPSTF - doi.org/10.15620/cdc/164247

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Evidence Categories

• Care setting: Workplace setting
• Population group: General Population
• Population group: General population
• Intervention: Intra-/Inter-personal: Multicomponent programme remote
• Outcome: Healthy eating: Sugar-added food intake
• Outcome: Healthy Eating: Fruit and veg intake
• Outcome: Healthy Eating: Fat intake
• Outcome: Healthy Eating: Whole diet quality

Type of Evidence

Guidance

Overview

The systematic review, which underpins this CPSTF recommendation, provides evidence on the following topic:

• "Worksite digital health and telephone interventions to increase healthy eating and physical activity aim to support individuals in work settings who are interested in improving these behaviors. Interventions are delivered through websites, mobile apps, text messages, emails, or one-on-one telephone calls. Interventions include educational information plus one or more of the following:
  • Coaching or counseling from trained professionals who provide personalized assistance related to eating and physical activity behaviors, or weight
  • Self-monitoring to record eating or physical activity behaviors, or weight
  • Goal setting related to eating or physical activity behaviors, or weight
  • Computer-generated feedback that provides tailored information based on performance (i.e., prompts, meeting goals, and adherence)
  • Social support from peers through social media, internet forums, or discussion groups
  • Motivational strategies that include incentives, rewards, prompts, and gaming techniques"

The authors state:

• "The CPSTF recommendation is based on evidence from a review of eight studies with 11 arms"
• "Included studies were conducted in the United States (6 studies), Denmark (1 study), and Germany (1 study)."
• "Study designs included randomized controlled trials (4 studies, 7 arms), group randomized controlled trials (3 studies, 3 arms), and other controlled trials (1 study, 1 arm)."
• "Fruit and Vegetable Intake, 3 studies (6 arms), Median: +0.44 servings/day, (Range: -0.10 to 1.00 servings/day; 2 studies, 4 arms), 1 study, 2 arms could not be calculated in median above: 1 of 2 arms was favorable; Favors the intervention"
• "Fat Intake, 3 studies (4 arms), 3 arms favorable, 1 arm no change, Favors the intervention"
• "Two studies (2 arms) reported overall diet quality scores, and both were favorable. One study (1 arm) reported a favorable decrease in sugar intake."

Recommendations

Taking into consideration evidence and stakeholder input, the CPSTF recommends:

"The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) recommends digital health and telephone interventions that are implemented in work settings and focus on improving healthy eating and physical activity among adults interested in improving these behaviors. Sufficient evidence of effectiveness shows these interventions lead to meaningful increases in time spent in physical activity, increases in fruit and vegetable intake, and decreases in fat intake."