SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Public Health, 05 November 2024

Sec. Public Health Education and Promotion

Volume 12 - 2024 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1404590

Nudge theories and strategies influencing adult health behaviors and outcomes in COPD management: a systematic review

  • 1. Department of Pharmacy, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China

  • 2. Department of Pharmacy, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China

  • 3. Department of Pharmacy, College of Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China

  • 4. Department of Pharmacy, Tumor Hospital of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China

  • 5. Department of Critical Care Medicine, The First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China

Abstract

Objective:

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic respiratory disease with high prevalence and mortality, and self-management is a key component for better outcomes of COPD. Recently, nudging has shown promising potential in COPD management. In the present study, we conducted a systematic review to collate the list of nudges and identified the variables that influence nudging.

Methods:

We undertook a systematic review. We employed database searches and snowballing. Data from selected studies were extracted. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care risk of bias tool. The study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42023427051.

Results:

We retrieved 4,022 studies from database searches and 38 studies were included. By snowballing, 5 additional studies were obtained. Nudges were classified into four types: social influence, gamification, reminder, and feedback. Medication adherence, inhalation technique, physical activity, smoking cessation, vaccination administration, exercise capacity, self-efficacy, pulmonary function, clinical symptoms, and quality of life were analyzed as targeted health behaviors and outcomes. We found medication adherence was significantly improved by reminders via mobile applications or text materials, as well as feedback based on devices. Additionally, reminders through text materials greatly enhance inhalation techniques and vaccination in patients.

Conclusion:

This review demonstrates nudging can improve the health behaviors of patients with COPD and shows great potential for certain outcomes, particularly medication adherence, inhalation techniques, and vaccination. Additionally, the delivery modes, the patient characteristics, and the durations and seasons of interventions may influence the successful nudge-based intervention.

Clinical trial registration:

This review has been registered in the international Prospective Registry of Systematic Evaluation (PROSPERO) database (identifier number CRD42023427051).

1 Introduction

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a prevalent and severe chronic respiratory ailment that is characterized by persistent and typically progressive airflow obstruction, leading to an irreversible decline in pulmonary function (1). Globally, COPD has become a prominent public health concern, imposing a considerable burden of mortality and morbidity (2). According to the statistics from the World Health Organization, COPD is regarded as the third most prevalent cause of death internationally (3). Due to its chronic and progressive condition, COPD significantly impacts the lifestyle and quality of life of patients. To enhance health outcomes, quality of life, and long-term prognosis of patients, effective COPD care encompasses a range of behavioral interventions, pharmacological therapies, respiratory therapies, exercise rehabilitation, smoking cessation, and vaccination (1, 4, 5). In addition to professional guidance, the management of COPD necessitates patients’ autonomous involvement by implementing effective and sustainable behavioral modifications to attain enduring disease control (6–8).

The new term “nudge,” originally derived from behavioral economics, has recently gained popular attention as an innovative approach for encouraging patients with chronic illnesses to modify their health-related behaviors (9). Nudge was first introduced and defined by economist Thaler and his associate Sunstein, which means the process of assisting individuals in making better judgments on a predictable routine when they are faced with choices, without prohibiting any options or drastically altering the incentives that drive the behaviors (10). In contrast to commands or persuasion, nudging does not restrict patients’ freedom of choice (10). It seeks to modify the choice architecture or the environment in which decisions are made (10). Examples of this include rearranging food items to promote healthier eating or laying warning images on cigarette packs to encourage quitting smoking (11, 12). There is evidence supporting the effectiveness of nudges in improving health behaviors among patients with chronic diseases such as heart disease and COPD (13, 14).

Currently, scholars cannot come to a consensus on the definition of nudge yet, and different approaches have been taken to classify nudges, such as the MINDSPACE classification proposed by Dolan et al. (15) and Munscher et al.’s (16) classification by intervention design. Consequently, we are not sure of exactly what type of nudge works effectively to improve the health behaviors and outcomes of patients with COPD. On the other hand, the context of decision-making influences nudges (17). For example, patients with varying characteristics may react differently to the same nudge, and the same nudge may have conflicting effects when delivered in different modes (17–19). In order to implement effective nudges, these contexts also require additional investigation.

The article aims to perform a systematic review that thoroughly assesses the applications of nudge theory and strategies in connection with health behaviors and outcomes among patients with COPD. This review helps to further understand the potential influence of the characteristics on the effectiveness of nudge interventions by presenting scientific supporting data on the use of nudge in the management of COPD. Overall, it provides novel evidence-based practice for researchers, politicians, and medical practitioners to implement nudges for COPD patients.

2 Methods

This review has been registered in the international Prospective Registry of Systematic Evaluation (PROSPERO) database (identifier number CRD42023427051). Registration was open until June 1, 2023.

2.1 Nudge theory and strategies

We referred to the interpretation and classification of nudges by Meske et al. (20) and Munscher et al. (16) to guide us to include the following strategies as the subcategories of nudges in this review.

2.1.1 Social influence

Social influence can be categorized into two basic types. The first type involves information. When a large number of individuals act or think in a certain way, knowledge about what might be beneficial in terms of actions or thoughts is disseminated through their collective behavior and thinking patterns. The second type is peer pressure. In this case, one may choose to conform to societal norms or follow the majority due to concerns about how others, such as family members, perceive them, aiming to gain approval or avoid disapproval (11).

2.1.2 Gamification

Gamification refers to the use of game design elements in non-game contexts, to motivate and engage through fun and enjoyment in a game setting (21).

2.1.3 Reminder

Reminders can make a big difference since they ensure that people can act promptly at the right moment and avoid procrastinating being distracted by other duties or becoming inert (12).

2.1.4 Feedback

Feedback makes own behavior visible. Giving feedback on one’s behavior removes many of the attentional and mental barriers that prevent people from accessing this knowledge in their daily lives. Devices and tools that offer feedback include pedometers that count steps and smart electricity meters displaying energy consumption (16).

2.2 Information sources and search strategy

We employed a two-arm search strategy including database searches and snowballing. We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, PsycINFO, and EconLit for relevant articles. We carefully defined the terms and keywords and determined the search strategy (see Supplementary Table 1). The search filter was set to English only. The search was performed on June 26, 2023. The references of included studies were also manually checked for appropriate sources. Deduplicates were removed using the reference management software EndNote 20, followed by a meticulous manual deduplication process.

2.3 Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Eligible studies were selected based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. The inclusion criteria included adults diagnosed with COPD; interventions based on the theory of behavioral nudges; study designs that featured an appropriate control, such as randomized controlled trials or pre-post studies, where the control group received non-nudges like usual care; reported outcomes that encompassed medication adherence, inhalation technique, physical activity, smoking cessation, vaccine behavior, self-efficacy in health behaviors, as well as pulmonary function, clinical symptoms, and quality of life as health outcomes; and the literature search was limited to studies published in English. Exclusion criteria were as follows: patients with Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (AECOPD), conference abstracts, letters, comments, case reports, case series, preclinical studies, review articles, descriptive studies such as case–control studies and cohort studies, other non-relevant studies, and studies with no relevant results. Table 1 lists the PICOS for this systematic review.

Table 1

ElementsContents
P (Population)Adults diagnosed with COPD
I (Intervention)Interventions based on the theory of behavioral nudges
C (Comparison)Non-nudged interventions, like usual care
O (Outcome)Health behaviors and outcomes such as medication adherence, inhalation technique, physical activity, smoking cessation, vaccine behavior, self-efficacy, pulmonary function, clinical symptoms, and quality of life
S (Study design)An appropriate control, such as randomized control or pre-post control

PICOS for this systematic review.

2.4 Study selection

The entire screening process was conducted by two independent reviewers (W-QH and Z-RB). Any disagreements were resolved through discussion. If necessary, a third reviewer (ZM) performed assistance and reached a consensus with all investigators. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a two-round screening process was implemented. Initially, screening involved reading the titles and abstracts, followed by a comprehensive examination of the full texts.

2.5 Data extraction

The data was extracted independently by two review authors using a pre-designed data extraction form. Information extracted included publication information (e.g., title, first author, year of publication, study design, country), patient characteristics (e.g., mean age, sex, sample size), intervention or control characteristics (e.g., nudge intervention and control description, duration of intervention) and targeted behaviors and health outcomes, and limitations.

2.6 Quality assessment

The risk of bias in each study was assessed using the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care risk of bias tool (22), which has nine standard criteria for the study with a separate control group and seven standard criteria for the interpreted time series study. Each study was independently assessed by two reviewers against each of the criteria assessing a score of either low risk, high risk, or unclear risk of bias according to the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care risk of bias tool (22).

2.7 Data synthesis

Due to the heterogeneity of interventions, outcome measurements, and study designs in the included studies, it would not have been possible to provide substantial results by performing a meta-analysis. Instead, to confirm the effective context of nudge interventions, we reported statistical significance based on the type of nudge and included outcome measures, and used a vote counting approach for narrative synthesis.

3 Results

3.1 Study selection

A total of 4,022 articles were identified in the initial search from the database after the exclusion of 3,119 duplicates. After screening the titles and abstracts, 3,750 articles were excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria. 272 articles in total were selected for full-text screening. After that, 234 articles were disqualified (Figure 1). Five additional articles were added after manual searching. Finally, 43 studies were included in the review (Figure 1). The features of the study were shown in Table 2. Among them, three studies were lacking in the information on gender and one study only indicated age range without mean age. The sample sizes in most studies were less than 50. Thirty studies were randomized controlled studies, and ten studies were performed in the United States. Supplementary Tables 2, 3 provide specifics regarding the study’s characteristics and nudge strategies.

Figure 1

Table 2

Population selectionNumber of studies
Mean age (years)
[40,50)2
[50,60)2
[60,70)29
≥709
Age provided as a range1
Male (%)
<301
[30,60)15
[60,90)19
≥905
Gender not reported3
Sample size
<5021
[50,100)7
[100,200)10
≥2005
Country/region
North America
USA10
Europe
UK4
Other European countries a17
Asia-Pacific countries b12
Study design
RCT31
Non-RCT12

Characteristics of studies.

a

Other European countries include Germany, France, Switzerland, Portugal, Netherlands, Norway, Italy, Poland, Spain and Turkey.

b

Asia-Pacific countries include Australia, Chile, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Korea and Japan.

3.2 Quality assessment

The results from the methodological risk of bias assessment of the included studies using the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care (EPOC) risk of bias tool are reported in Supplementary Table 4. Fifteen studies in all were classified as high risk: four for selection bias, six for dissimilar baseline outcomes or characteristics, five for high dropout rates leading to incomplete outcome data, and 3 for absence of blind assessment.

3.3 Characteristics of nudge interventions

As shown in Table 3, this study included a total of four different types of nudge interventions, including social influence (n = 5), gamification (n = 7), reminder (n = 6), and feedback (n = 25). Twenty-one of the 43 trials used multi-component interventions, meaning that in addition to nudging, they contained interventions including training, education, rehabilitation activities, general encouragement, and health outcome monitoring.

Table 3

InterventionSocial influence (n = 5)Gamification (n = 7)Reminder (n = 6)Feedback (n = 25)
Multi-component31314
Single-component26311
Delivery mode
Mobile applications3121
Web-based1
Pedometer/devices5124
Group sessions2
Text materials3
Targeted health behavior
Physical activity2118
Exercise capacity35117
Smoking cessation1
Influenza vaccination1
Medication adherence33
Inhalation technique1
Self-efficacy216
Pulmonary function112
Clinical symptom112
Quality of life32320
Duration of intervention
<3 months1748
[3,6) months38
[6,12) months14
≥12 months115

Characteristics of nudge interventions.

The most popular intervention was feedback nudges, and the most frequently used delivery modes (n = 24) were pedometers or other devices (23–46), along with mobile applications (47). Among the five studies employing social influence, two used group sessions (14, 48), and three utilized mobile applications (49–51) as the delivery modes. Of the seven gamification interventions, five involved devices such as consoles and headsets (52–56), one was web-based (57), and one used mobile applications (58). The interventions utilized various reminder devices, including wearable ones (59), while two others employed mobile applications (60, 61). Three other interventions employed text materials, including labels (62), cards (63), and written materials (64).

The nudge intervention of social influence primarily targeted exercise capacity, physical activity, and self-efficacy (14, 48–51). Exercise capacity and physical activity were the primary concerns of gamification (12, 52, 54–58). The main points of the reminder were self-efficacy, exercise capacity, vaccine behavior, inhalation technique, and medication adherence (59–64). The primary goals of the 25 studies that included feedback were self-efficacy, exercise capacity, and physical activity (23–47). Each kind of intervention looked into how it affected quality of life.

3.4 Characteristics of effective nudging measured

The results and health behavior data from the included studies are displayed in Table 4. Table 5 outlines the characteristics of effective nudge interventions. Variations in the targeted outcomes and method of delivering nudging interventions resulted in different intervention effects.

Table 4

First author (year)Group (intervention/control)nBaseline measurementFollow-up measurementWithin group significant resultBetween groups significant result
Medication adherence
Tashkin (1991) (24)I112NAThe percent of patients actually used the inhaler two or more times daily according to the chronolog record: 78%NAp < 0.001
C85NAThe percent of patients actually used the inhaler two or more times daily according to the chronolog record:52%NA
Simmons (1996) (43)I129Not reportedMean sets per day:
Month 4: 1.93 ± 0.69
Month 8: 1.76 ± 0.83
Month 12: 1.74 ± 0.89
Month 16: 1.70 ± 0.89
Month 20: 1.56 ± 0.87
Month 24: 1.65 ± 0.89
Not reportedMonth 4: p = 0.0035
Month 8: p = 0.0003
Month 12: p = 0.0007
Month 16: p = 0.0018
Month 20: p = 0.0190
Month 24: p = 0.0006
C102Not reportedMean sets per day:
Month 4: 1.60 ± 0.83
Month 8: 1.31 ± 0.89
Month 12: 1.29 ± 0.91
Month 16: 1.27 ± 0.92
Month 20: 1.22 ± 0.97
Month 24: 1.16 ± 0.95
Not reported
Song (2014) (64)I20Medication adherence: 30.4 ± 4.8Medication adherence: 33.0 ± 3.2Not reportedp = 0.047
C20Medication adherence: 31.6 ± 3.4Medication adherence: 31.9 ± 4.8Not reported
Jolly (2018) (38)IBaseline: 273
Month 6: 219
Month12: 218
Medication adherence score: 1[0–2]*Medication adherence score:
Month 6: 1[0–2]*
Month 12: 1[0–1]*
Not reportedMonth 6: p = 0.008
CBaseline: 265
Month 6: 255
Month12: 255
Medication adherence score: 1[0–2]*Medication adherence score:
Month 6: 1[0–2]*
Month 12: 1[0–2]*
Not reported
Criner (2021) (61)I67NAThe mean number of adherent sets of puffs/day: 1.61 ± 0.389NAp < 0.001
C70NAThe mean number of adherent sets of puffs/day: 1.33 ± 0.509NA
Morfaw (2023) (60)I30MMAS-8: 4.4 ± 1.591MMAS-8: 6.4 ± 1.453p < 0.05NA
Inhalation technique
Nguyen (2018) (62)IBaseline: 211
Month 1:163
Month 3:163
Month 6:139
Month12:102
Inhaler technique score: MDI:6.09
Turbuhaler®: 6.68
Inhaler technique score:
MDI:
Month 1 = 6.97;
Month 3 = 7.49;
Month 6 = 7.49;
Month 12 = 6.93
Turbuhaler®:
Month 1 = 7.24;
Month 3 = 7.56;
Month 6 = 7.56;
Month 12 = 7.24
MDI: all points: p < 0.001
Turbuhaler®:
Month 3: p = 0.001
Month 6: p < 0.001
NA
Smoking cessation
Jolly (2018) (38)IBaseline: 289
Month 6: 267
Month12: 247
Smoking cessation rate: 26%Smoking cessation rate:
Month 6: 22%
Month 12: 13%
Not reportedNS
CBaseline: 288
Month 6: 287
Month12: 226
Smoking cessation rate: 19%Smoking cessation rate:
Month 6: 18%
Month 12: 25%
Not reported
Influenza vaccination
Vayisoglu (2019) (63)I44NAInfluenza vaccination rate: 63.6%NAp = 0.001
C44NAInfluenza vaccination rate: 29.5%NA
Physical activity
de Blok (2006) (41)I8Daily steps: 2082Daily steps: 3512Not reportedNS
C8Daily steps: 2377Daily steps: 2832Not reported
Wewel (2008) (23)I21Activity per hour of monitoring (counts/h): 1061 ± 636Activity per hour of monitoring (counts/h): 1330 ± 726p = 0.007NA
Hospes (2009) (32)I18Daily steps: 7087 ± 4,058Daily steps: 7872 ± 3,962Not reportedp = 0.01
C17Daily steps: 7539 ± 3,945Daily steps: 6172 ± 3,194Not reported
Berry (2010) (14)IBaseline: 87
End: 61
Physical activity levels (kcals/week): Reported in diagram formatPhysical activity levels (kcals/week): Reported in diagram formatMonth 3: p = 0.004
Month 6: p = 0.005
Month12: p = 0.048
NS
CBaseline: 89
End: 69
Physical activity levels (kcals/week): Reported in diagram formatPhysical activity levels (kcals/week): Reported in diagram formatMonth 3: p = 0.002
Month 6: p = 0.039
Moy (2012) (25)I24Daily steps: 2908 ± 2,416Daily steps: 4171 ± 2,970p = 0.0054NA
Cruz (2014) (34)I16Daily steps (W1): 8638.23 ± 2408.14Daily steps:
W7: 10002.27 ± 2798.13
W12: 8858.43 ± 1641.80
W1 to W12: p = 0.026
W1 to W7: p = 0.050;
W7 to W12: p = 0.048
NA
Tabak (2014) (47)I13Daily steps: 5766 ± 965Daily steps: 5603 ± 964NSNot reported
C16Daily steps: 5256 ± 865Daily steps: 4617 ± 865NS
Altenburg (2015) (39)IBaseline: 78
Month 3: 65
Month15: 50
Daily steps: 4292[2182–6,596]*Daily steps:
Changes after 3 months: 618[−137–1771]*
Changes after 15 months: 218[−1,423–1863]*
Not reportedChanges after 3 months: p = 0.001
CBaseline: 77
Month 3: 55
Month15: 51
Daily steps: 4132[2979–6,030]*Daily steps:
Changes after 3 months: −185[−1,425–969]*
Changes after 15 months: −201[1809–1,006]*
Not reported
Kawagoshi (2015) (31)I12The time spent walking (mins/day): Reported in diagram formatChanges after 12 months: 51.3 ± 63.7p < 0.05p = 0.036
C15The time spent walking (mins/day): Reported in diagram formatChanges after 12 months: 12.3 ± 25.5p < 0.05
Mendoza (2015) (37)IBaseline: 52
End: 50
Daily steps: 4008 ± 2,253Daily steps:
Changes after 3 months: 3080 ± 3254.8
Not reportedp < 0.001
CBaseline: 50
End: 47
Daily steps: 3956 ± 2,723Daily steps:
Changes after 3 months: 138.3 ± 1950.4
Not reported
Cruz (2016) (44)I13Daily steps: 7161.5 ± 1708.1Daily steps:
Month 3: 10440.0 ± 4012.9
Month 6: 9747.9 ± 3511.8
p = 0.001Month 3: p = 0.006
Month 6: p = 0.025
C13Daily steps: 6617.1 ± 2914.2Daily steps:
Month 3: 6430.0 ± 2613.1
Month 6: 6481.3 ± 3454.4
p = 0.001
Arbillaga-Etxarri (2018) (46)I132Daily steps: 8069 ± 4,554Daily steps: 8002 ± 4,635NSNS
C148Daily steps: 7783 ± 3,847Daily steps: 7825 ± 3,850NS
Burkow (2018) (51)I10The average number of physical activity sessions per week (mean): 2.9The average number of physical activity sessions per week (mean): 5.9Not reportedNot reported
Jolly (2018) (38)IBaseline: 230
Month 6: 202
Month12: 191
Total MET minutes/week: 3242.2 ± 3284.2Total MET minutes/week:
Month 6: 3786.0 ± 3685.7
Month 12: 3214.3 ± 3578.4
Not reportedMonth 6: p = 0.003
CBaseline: 236
Month 6: 237
Month12: 223
Total MET minutes/week: 3265.8 ± 3480.6Total MET minutes/week:
Month 6: 2920.6 ± 3195.0
Month 12: 2738.1 ± 3249.9
Not reported
O’Neill (2018) (28)IBaseline:17
End: 14
Daily steps: 3305.6 ± 1960.2Daily steps: 5332.0 ± 3070.7Not reportedNot reported
CBaseline:23
End: 12
Daily steps: 3946.2 ± 2263.1Daily steps: 4984.6 ± 3598.0Not reported
Kohlbrenner (2020) (35)IBaseline: 37
End: 29
Daily steps: 3708 ± 3,601Daily steps:
Changes after 3 months: 694 ± 1709
Changes after 12 months: −108 ± 1,057
Not reportedNS
CBaseline: 37
End: 31
Daily steps: 2451 ± 1819Daily steps:
Changes after 3 months: 423 ± 2,258
Changes after 12 months: −480 ± 1703
Not reported
Park (2020) (33)I22Daily steps: 5223.68 ± 2899.61Daily steps: 6546.77 ± 2354.43p < 0.05NS
C20Daily steps: 6756.26 ± 2978.77Daily steps: 6890.39 ± 2967.73NS
Armstrong (2021) (27)I24Daily steps: 3450 ± 2,168Daily steps: 4426 ± 2,577p = 0.001p = 0.001
C24Daily steps: 3446 ± 2,342Daily steps: 3406 ± 2095NS
Geidl (2021) (45)I167Daily steps: 5722.4 ± 2948.6Daily steps:
Week 6: 6875.0 ± 3229.5
Month 6: 6517.7 ± 3427.8
p < 0.05NS
C160Daily steps: 5934.5 ± 3101.0Daily steps:
Week 6: 6679.5 ± 3337.4
Month 6: 6234.0 ± 3357.6
p < 0.05
Robinson (2021) (26)I75Daily steps: 3176.6 ± 2211.6Changes after 3 months: 645.95 ± 3394.6
Changes after 6 months: 672.90 ± 3399.0
Changes after 3/6 months: Not reportedMonth 3: p = 0.005
Month 6: p < 0.001
C78Daily steps: 3210.2 ± 2247.9Changes after 3 months: −385.78 ± 3633.8
Changes after 6 months: −639.38 ± 3667.9
Changes after 3/6 months: Not reported
Simmich (2021) (58)I9Daily steps: 4730 ± 1959Daily steps: 4649 ± 2,357Not reportedNot reported
C9Daily steps: 6394 ± 4,306Daily steps: 5593 ± 4,277Not reported
Exercise capacity
Giardino (2004) (29)I206MWD(m): 249 ± 976MWD(m): 432 ± 133p < 0.01NA
de Blok (2006) (41)I82MST: 36.62MST: 57.4Not reportedNS
C82MST: 49.32MST: 55.1Not reported
Woo (2006) (48)I336MWD(m): 285 ± 966MWD(m): 303 ± 98NSNA
Wewel (2008) (23)I216MWD(m): 379.6 ± 115.36MWD(m): 411.4 ± 100.5p = 0.030NA
Hospes (2009) (32)I186MWD(m): 364.9 ± 45.16MWD(m): 387.4 ± 46.6Not reportedNS
C176MWD(m): 351.4 ± 54.56MWD(m): 361.4 ± 66.6Not reported
Berry (2010) (14)IBaseline: 87
End: 61
6MWD(m): 410.76MWD(m):
Month 3: 434.8 ± 8.8
Month 6: 426.7 ± 10.3
Month 12: 408.1 ± 10.5
Month 3: p < 0.05NS
CBaseline: 89
End: 69
6MWD(m): 410.76MWD(m):
Month 3: 428.7 ± 8.3
Month 6: 439.8 ± 9.9
Month 12: 430.5 ± 10.0
Month 3, 12: p < 0.05
Cruz (2014) (34)I166MWD(m)(W1): 466.50 ± 81.566MWD(m):
W12: 513.33 ± 86.18
W1 to W12: p = 0.001NA
Song (2014) (64)I206MWD(m): 300.3 ± 86.66MWD(m): 333.5 ± 79.2Not reportedNS
C206MWD(m): 290.0 ± 52.56MWD(m): 312.7 ± 72.1Not reported
Altenburg (2015) (39)IBaseline: 78
Month 3: 65
Month15: 50
6MWD(m): 454[361–509]*6MWD(m):
Changes after 3 months: 19.5[−5.6–45.2]*
Changes after 15 months: 22.8[2.4–51.2]*
Not reportedNS
CBaseline: 77
Month 3: 55
Month15: 51
6MWD(m): 450[351–530]*6MWD(m):
Changes after 3 months: 6.0[−18.5–40.6]*
Changes after 15 months: 11.2[−3.3–57.0]*
Not reported
Kawagoshi (2015) (31)I126MWD(m): 369 ± 1196MWD(m): 445 ± 138p < 0.01Not reported
C156MWD(m): 404 ± 1486MWD(m): 467 ± 151p < 0.01
Mendoza (2015) (37)IBaseline: 52
End: 50
6MWD(m): 463.1 ± 83.26MWD(m):
Changes after 3 months: 12.4 ± 34.6
Not reportedp = 0.03
CBaseline: 50
End: 47
6MWD(m): 469.7 ± 71.66MWD(m):
Changes after 3 months: −0.7 ± 24.4
Not reported
Cruz (2016) (44)I136MWD(m): 493.8 ± 63.06MWD(m):
Month 3: 547.9 ± 47.9
Month 6: 540.4 ± 31.1
p < 0.001NS
C136MWD(m): 476.2 ± 54.96MWD(m):
Month 3: 529.7 ± 57.2
Month 6: 519.4 ± 50.8
p < 0.001
Arbillaga-Etxarri (2018) (46)I1326MWD(m): 499 ± 956MWD(m): 488 ± 106p < 0.05NS
C1486MWD(m): 501 ± 836MWD(m): 493 ± 90p < 0.05
O’Neill (2018) (28)IBaseline:23
End: 16
ISWT (m): 253.0 ± 118.8ISWT (m): 288.1 ± 107.0Not reportedNot reported
CBaseline:26
End: 17
ISWT (m): 259.2 ± 140.6ISWT (m): 280.0 ± 139.7Not reported
Wootton (2018) (30)I496MWD(m): 458 ± 876MWD(m):
Changes after 14 months: −6
Changes from 2 months to 14 months: −23
Changes from 2 months to 14 months: p < 0.05NS
C466MWD(m): 467 ± 806MWD(m):
Changes after 14 months: −40
Changes from 2 months to 14 months: −39
Changes from 2 months to 14 months: p < 0.05
Rutkowski (2019) (54)I346MWD(m): 469.9 ± 34.36MWD(m): 508.4 ± 44.3P ≤ 0.05NS
C346MWD(m): 494.9 ± 38.76MWD(m): 514.7 ± 33P ≤ 0.05
Sutanto (2019) (53)I106MWD(m): 376.6 ± 81.06MWD(m): 420 ± 77.6p < 0.001NS
C106MWD(m): 410.7 ± 105.36MWD(m): 477.5 ± 122.4p < 0.001
Kohlbrenner (2020) (35)IBaseline: 37
End: 29
1MSTS: 20.97 ± 7.041MSTS:
Changes after 3 months: 0.74 ± 3.46
Changes after 12 months: 1.0 ± 7
Not reportedNS
CBaseline: 37
End: 31
1MSTS: 16.06 ± 8.721MSTS:
Changes after 3 months: 1.81 ± 5.97
Changes after 12 months: −0.5 ± 6.9
Not reported
Park (2020) (33)I226MWD(m): 378.32 ± 96.966MWD(m): 433.23 ± 107.23p < 0.05NS
C206MWD(m): 398.10 ± 78.676MWD(m): 437.60 ± 83.62NS
Rutkowski (2020) (55)I/ET + VR386MWD(m): 471.536MWD(m): 510.63p = 0.000ET vs. ET + VR: p = 0.011
I/VR346MWD(m): 487.916MWD(m): 523.38p = 0.000ET vs. VR: p = 0.031
C/ET346MWD(m): 492.076MWD(m): 508.3p = 0.014
Armstrong (2021) (27)I246MWD(m): 285 ± 926MWD(m): 339 ± 90p = 0.001NS
C246MWD(m): 276 ± 926MWD(m): 314 ± 99p = 0.001
Robinson (2021) (26)I756MWD(m): 360.8 ± 92.0Changes after 3 months: 23.86 ± 82.97
Changes after 6 months: 25.14 ± 83.23
Changes after 3 months: Not reported
Changes after 6 months: p = 0.010
NS
C786MWD(m): 357.2 ± 103.5Changes after 3 months: 27.58 ± 83.99
Changes after 6 months: 37.41 ± 85.05
Changes after 3 months: Not reported
Changes after 6 months: p < 0.001
Rutkowski (2021) (56)I256MWD(MET): 6.12 ± 2.126MWD(MET): 6.75 ± 2.24p < 0.0018Not reported
C256MWD(MET): 5.98 ± 1.846MWD(MET): 6.76 ± 1.28p < 0.0002
Yao (2021) (50)I506MWD(m): 362.31 ± 91.246MWD(m): 423.67 ± 102.32Not reportedp = 0.030
C506MWD(m): 364.57 ± 93.666MWD(m): 382.28 ± 84.95
Colombo (2023) (57)I126MWD(m): 478.00 ± 80.446MWD(m): 520.50 ± 69.24p < 0.05NA
Norweg (2023) (36)I126MWD(m): 358.27 ± 87.856MWD(m): 397.64 ± 92.2p = 0.01Not reported
C46MWD(m): 322.94 ± 72.666MWD(m): 347.93 ± 84.71Not reported
Self-efficacy
Giardino (2004) (29)I20COPD self-efficacy: 49 ± 22COPD self-efficacy: 62 ± 20p < 0.01NA
de Blok (2006) (41)I8Self-efficacy: 25.3Self-efficacy: 28.5Not reportedNS
C8Self-efficacy: 27.0Self-efficacy: 26.6Not reported
Hospes (2009) (32)I18LIVAS: 29.8 ± 7.9LIVAS: 31.0 ± 8.9Not reportedNS
C17LIVAS: 28.4 ± 7.9LIVAS: 28.5 ± 8.3Not reported
Cruz (2016) (44)I13Self-efficacy Scale: 77.0 ± 12.0Self-efficacy Scale:
Month 3: 75.3 ± 12.7
Month 6: 79.5 ± 11.4
NSNS
C13Self-efficacy Scale: 82.4 ± 10.4Self-efficacy Scale:
Month 3: 85.7 ± 11.1
Month 6: 79.6 ± 13.0
NS
Jolly (2018) (38)IBaseline: 287
Month 6: 247
Month12: 228
Stanford self efficacy scale: 8.3 ± 1.6Stanford self efficacy scale:
Month 6: 8.1 ± 1.7
Month 12: 8.1 ± 1.6
Not reportedNS
CBaseline: 284
Month 6: 275
Month12: 272
Stanford self efficacy scale: 8.0 ± 1.7Stanford self efficacy scale:
Month 6: 7.8 ± 1.8
Month 12: 7.7 ± 1.8
Not reported
Vayisoglu (2019) (63)I44SE Scale:
Coping SE: 12.05 ± 1.43
Action SE: 10.86 ± 1.95
SE Scale:
Coping SE: 13.11 ± 1.08
Action SE: 11.70 ± 2.01
Coping SE: p < 0.001
Action SE: p < 0.001
Coping SE: p < 0.001
Action SE: p < 0.001
C44SE Scale:
Coping SE: 11.39 ± 1.97
Action SE: 10.45 ± 2.52
SE Scale:
Coping SE: 11.70 ± 2.01
Action SE: 10.93 ± 2.42
Action SE: p = 0.035
Park (2020) (33)I22SEMCD: 6.71 ± 1.93SEMCD: 6.89 ± 1.75NSNS
C20SEMCD: 6.47 ± 1.64SEMCD: 6.69 ± 2.26NS
Yao (2020) (49)I64ES-CA: 93.26 ± 11.23ES-CA: 129.71 ± 23.22Not reportedp < 0.05
C64ES-CA: 94.13 ± 12.75ES-CA: 109.25 ± 17.52Not reported
Yao (2021) (50)I50health promotion self-care scale: 52.69 ± 9.36health promotion self-care scale: 65.91 ± 11.39Not reportedp < 0.001
C50health promotion self-care scale: 52.74 ± 10.21health promotion self-care scale: 56.36 ± 10.36
Pulmonary function
Esteve (1996) (42)I9FEV1(% predicted): 33.2 ± 7.4FEV1(% predicted): 40.1 ± 11.5p = 0.038NS
C10FEV1(% predicted): 37.6 ± 14.8FEV1(% predicted): 37.1 ± 12.9NS
Giardino (2004) (29)I20FEV1(% predicted): 46 ± 16FEV1(% predicted): 51 ± 17NSNA
Chau (2012) (59)I22FEV1(% predicted): 33.59 ± 14.86FEV1(% predicted): 33.64 ± 14.57NSNot reported
C18FEV1(% predicted): 43.89 ± 29.11FEV1(% predicted): 39.83 ± 15.36NS
Rutkowski (2021) (56)I25FEV1%: 71.00 ± 23.66FEV1%: 73.25 ± 23.24NSNot reported
C25FEV1%: 86.48 ± 21.13FEV1%: 90.24 ± 19.36p < 0.049
Clinical symptom
Moy (2012) (25)I21mMRC score: 2.48 ± 1.12mMRC score: 3.22 ± 0.736NSNA
Tabak (2014) (47)I14MRC score: 2.0 ± 0.9MRC score:
Changes after 3 weeks: −0.3 ± 0.7
NSNS
C15MRC score: 2.3 ± 1.4MRC score:
Changes after 3 weeks: −0.2 ± 0.9
NS
Kawagoshi (2015) (31)I12MRC score: 1.9 ± 0.8MRC score: 1.2 ± 0.9p = 0.039Not reported
C15MRC score: 1.9 ± 0.7MRC score: 1.4 ± 0.9NS
Mendoza (2015) (37)IBaseline: 52
End: 50
CAT score: 15.5 ± 8.9CAT score:
Changes after 3 months: −3.5 ± 5.5
Not reportedp = 0.001
CBaseline: 50
End: 47
CAT score: 16.5 ± 7.3CAT score:
Changes after 3 months: −0.6 ± 6.6
Not reported
Arbillaga-Etxarri (2018) (46)I132CAT score: 12 ± 7CAT score: 11 ± 7p < 0.05NS
C148CAT score: 12 ± 8CAT score: 11 ± 7NS
Jolly (2018) (38)IBaseline: 289
Month 6: 237
Month12: 247
MRC score:
1: 31%
2: 69%
MRC score:
1: 26%
2: 74%
Not reportedNS
CBaseline: 288
Month 6: 265
Month12: 269
MRC score:
Month 6:
1 vs. 2 vs. 3 vs. 4 vs. 5:
32% vs. 58% vs. 6 3% vs. <1%
Month 12:
1 vs. 2 vs. 3 vs. 4:
31% vs. 61% vs. 7 2%
MRC score:
Month 6:
1 vs. 2 vs. 3 vs. 4:
32% vs. 60% vs. 7 2%
Month 12:
1 vs. 2 vs. 3 vs. 4:
28% vs. 61% vs. 10 2%
Not reported
O’Neill (2018) (28)IBaseline:23
End: 17
CAT score: 23.8 ± 6.9CAT score: 22.5 ± 7.0Not reportedNot reported
CBaseline:26
End: 19
CAT score: 18.7 ± 7.3CAT score: 16.6 ± 5.3Not reported
Sutanto (2019) (53)I10MRC score: 3(0.67)*MRC score: 3(0.5)*NSp = 0.036
C10MRC score: 2.5(0.5)*MRC score: 2(0.4)*NS
Kohlbrenner (2020) (35)IBaseline: 37
End: 29
CAT score: 17.14 ± 6.77CAT score:
Changes after 3 months: −0.86 ± 5.18
Changes after 12 months: −1.32 ± 7.49
Not reportedNS
CBaseline: 37
End: 31
CAT score: 19.14 ± 6.15CAT score:
Changes after 3 months: −1.92 ± 4.45
Changes after 12 months: −1.63 ± 8.28
Not reported
Park (2020) (33)I22UCSD-SOBQ: 21.18 ± 16.05UCSD-SOBQ: 21.45 ± 17.78NSNS
C20UCSD-SOBQ: 19.25 ± 13.83UCSD-SOBQ: 19.70 ± 14.34NS
Armstrong (2021) (27)I24CAT score: 25.9 ± 6.4CAT score: 21.7 ± 6.1p = 0.001p = 0.025
C24CAT score: 27.0 ± 6.4CAT score: 24.9 ± 7.1p = 0.002
Geidl (2021) (45)I167CAT score: 23.23 ± 6.57CAT score:
Week 6: 17.82 ± 8.04
Month 6: 19.04 ± 7.99
Not reportedNS
C160CAT score: 23.32 ± 6.82CAT score:
Week 6: 17.61 ± 7.74
Month 6: 18.93 ± 7.96
Not reported
Robinson (2021) (26)I75mMRC score: 2.0 ± 1.2Changes after 3 months: −0.17 ± 1.82
Changes after 6 months: −0.06 ± 1,82
Changes after 3/6 months: Not reportedNS
C78mMRC score: 2.1 ± 1.2Changes after 3 months: 0.07 ± 1.85
Changes after 6 months: 0.00 ± 1.85
Changes after 3/6 months: Not reported
Quality of life
Giardino (2004) (29)I20SGRQ: 50.1 ± 15.4SGRQ: 41.9 ± 14.1p < 0.01NA
de Blok (2006) (41)I8SGRQ: 59.1SGRQ: 56.3Not reportedNS
C8SGRQ: 50.8SGRQ: 44.7Not reported
Woo (2006) (48)I33SGRQ: 53.69 ± 19.61SGRQ: 34.72 ± 14.12p < 0.001NA
Wewel (2008) (23)I21SGRQ: 59[51–64]*SGRQ: 52[45–66]*NSNA
Hospes (2009) (32)I18SGRQ: 37.7 ± 12.4SGRQ: 34.2 ± 13.5Not reportedp = 0.05
C17SGRQ: 35.2 ± 18.7SGRQ: 38.3 ± 16.8Not reported
Berry (2010) (14)IBaseline: 87
End: 61
CRQ: 4.3CRQ:
Month 3: 4.6 ± 0.1
Month 6: 4.5 ± 0.1
Month 12: 4.6 ± 0.1
Month 3, 12: p < 0.05NS
CBaseline: 89
End: 69
CRQ: 4.3CRQ:
Month 3: 4.8 ± 0.1
Month 6: 4.7 ± 0.1
Month 12: 4.6 ± 0.1
Month 3, 12: p < 0.05
Chau (2012) (59)I22CRQ:
Dyspnea: 4.27 ± 1.23
Fatigue: 4.09 ± 1.26
Emotion: 4.84 ± 1.47
Mastery: 4.60 ± 1.43
CRQ:
Dyspnea: 3.97 ± 1.17
Fatigue: 4.11 ± 1.25
Emotion: 4.92 ± 1.40
Mastery: 4.61 ± 1.62
NSNS
C18CRQ:
Dyspnea: 4.20 ± 0.83
Fatigue: 4.40 ± 0.99
Emotion: 5.24 ± 1.42
Mastery:4.94 ± 1.16
CRQ:
Dyspnea: 4.45 ± 0.96
Fatigue: 4.79 ± 1.07
Emotion: 5.61 ± 1.17
Mastery:4.88 ± 1.27
NS
Moy (2012) (25)I23SF-36: 3.13 ± 0.757SF-36: 3.22 ± 0.736NSNA
Song (2014) (64)I20SGRQ: 52.9 ± 18.2SGRQ: 42.3 ± 7.9Not reportedp = 0.033
C20SGRQ: 62.1 ± 17.4SGRQ: 66.8 ± 6.4Not reported
Tabak (2014) (47)I14CCQ: 2.0 ± 0.8CCQ:
Changes after 3 weeks: −0.3 ± 0.5
p = 0.046NS
C15CCQ: 1.8 ± 1.0CCQ:
Changes after 3 weeks: 0.0 ± 0.6
NS
Altenburg (2015) (39)IBaseline: 78
Month 3: 65
Month15: 50
CRQ: 102[86–118]*CRQ:
Changes after 3 months: 4[−2–15]*
Changes after 15 months: 2[−6–10]*
Not reportedNS
CBaseline: 77
Month 3: 55
Month15: 51
CRQ: 109[87–119]*CRQ:
Changes after 3 months: 2[−7–14]*
Changes after 15 months: 2[−5–12]*
Not reported
Kawagoshi (2015) (31)I12CRQ: 98 ± 20CRQ: 108 ± 19p = 0.027Not reported
C15CRQ: 99 ± 19CRQ: 110 ± 19p < 0.01
Mendoza (2015) (37)IBaseline: 52
End: 50
SGRQ: 41.9 ± 19.8SGRQ:
Changes after 3 months: −8.8 ± 12.2
Not reportedp = 0.02
CBaseline: 50
End: 47
SGRQ: 43.7 ± 16.7SGRQ:
Changes after 3 months: −3.8 ± 10.9
Not reported
Cruz (2016) (44)I13SGRQ: 31.5 ± 15.7SGRQ:
Month 3: 24.0 ± 13.6
Month 6: 23.1 ± 10.3
p < 0.001NS
C13SGRQ: 34.9 ± 14.7SGRQ:
Month 3: 26.9 ± 15.2
Month 6: 26.2 ± 15.3
p < 0.001
Arbillaga-Etxarri (2018) (46)I132CCQ: 1 ± 1CCQ: 1 ± 1p < 0.05NS
C148CCQ: 1 ± 1CCQ: 1 ± 1NS
Jolly (2018) (38)IBaseline: 277
Month 6: 222
Month12: 217
SGRQ: 27.8 ± 14.6SGRQ:
Month 6: 28.6 ± 17.1
Month 12: 27.9 ± 15.7
Not reportedNS
CBaseline: 272
Month 6: 237
Month12: 256
SGRQ: 29.5 ± 14.5SGRQ:
Month 6: 30.5 ± 16.7
Month 12: 30.9 ± 17.0
Not reported
O’Neill (2018) (28)IBaseline:23
End: 16
EQ-5D weighted health index: 0.5 ± 0.2
EQ-5D health state VAS: 56.2 ± 20.8
EQ-5D weighted health index: 0.5 ± 0.3
EQ-5D health state VAS: 58.6 ± 23.0
Not reportedNot reported
CBaseline:26
End: 19
EQ-5D weighted health index: 0.6 ± 0.3
EQ-5D health state VAS: 60.8 ± 12.3
EQ-5D weighted health index: 0.7 ± 0.2
EQ-5D health state VAS: 74.0 ± 19.9
Not reported
Wootton (2018) (30)I49SGRQ: 46 ± 18SGRQ:
Changes after 14 months: −5
Changes from 2 months to 14 months: 1
Changes after 14 months: p < 0.05NS
C46SGRQ: 47 ± 16SGRQ:
Changes after 14 months: −2
Changes from 2 months to 14 months: 4
Changes from 2 months to 14 months: p < 0.05
Collins (2019) (40)I58CRQ:
Dyspnea: 16.6 ± 4.2
Fatigue: 15.9 ± 4.0
Emotion: 33.3 ± 7.9
Mastery: 18.8 ± 5.1
CRQ:
Dyspnea: 21.1 ± 5.4
Fatigue: 17.7 ± 4.8
Emotion: 36.6 ± 8.6
Mastery: 21.2 ± 5.0
Not reportedNot reported#
C61CRQ:
Dyspnea: 16.2 ± 5.4
Fatigue: 16.5 ± 4.7
Emotion: 33.6 ± 9.4
Mastery: 19.6 ± 5.4
CRQ:
Dyspnea: 19.4 ± 6.7
Fatigue: 18.4 ± 5.0
Emotion: 36.9 ± 9.0
Mastery: 21.0 ± 5.3
Not reported
Sutanto (2019) (53)I10SGRQ: 57.7 ± 11.6SGRQ: 30.6 ± 5.9p = 0.001NS
C10SGRQ: 54.1 ± 16.3SGRQ: 29.4 ± 9.9p = 0.002
Jung (2020) (52)I10CRQ:
Dyspnea: 2.22 ± 1.09
Fatigue: 3.11 ± 1.43
Emotion: 3.85 ± 1.52
Mastery:3.83 ± 1.19
CRQ:
Dyspnea: 2.96 ± 1.15
Fatigue: 3.27 ± 1.15
Emotion: 4.36 ± 1.01
Mastery:4.22 ± 0.74
Not reportedNA
Park (2020) (33)I22SF-36:
PCS: 43.43 ± 9.00
MCS: 51.62 ± 8.71
SF-36:
PCS: 43.94 ± 8.97
MCS: 50.10 ± 8.33
NSNS
C20SF-36:
PCS: 46.36 ± 5.58
MCS: 52.13 ± 8.49
SF-36:
PCS: 44.95 ± 5.95
MCS: 49.03 ± 11.02
NS
Yao (2020) (49)I64Not reportedQLQ-C:
Role function: 78.25 ± 2.41
Emotional function: 80.27 ± 2.38
Physical function: 80.43 ± 2.44
Cognitive function:79.91 ± 3.32
Social function: 80.15 ± 2.57
Not reportedp < 0.001
C64Not reportedQLQ-C:
Role function: 60.29 ± 2.11
Emotional function: 61.43 ± 2.39
Physical function: 61.02 ± 3.03
Cognitive function: 60.95 ± 2.86
Social function: 61.48 ± 2.43
Armstrong (2021) (27)I24CCQ: 2.5 ± 1.1CCQ: 2.2 ± 1.1NSNS
C24CCQ: 2.5 ± 1.3CCQ: 2.4 ± 1.3NS
Criner (2021) (61)IBaseline: 67
End: 58
CCQ: 2.3 ± 0.91Reported in diagram formatNSNot reported
CBaseline: 70
End: 67
CCQ: 2.8 ± 0.97Reported in diagram formatNS
Geidl (2021) (45)I167SGRQ: 55.5 ± 16.8SGRQ:
Week 6: 40.9 ± 21.6
Month 6: 44.3 ± 19.8
Not reportedNS
C160SGRQ: 57.0 ± 17.1SGRQ:
Week 6: 40.4 ± 20.7
Month 6: 43.6 ± 20.5
Not reported
Robinson (2021) (26)I75SGRQ: 40.0 ± 15.3Changes after 3 months: −14.63 ± 31.09
Changes after 6 months: −13.05 ± 31.09
Changes after 3/6 months: Not reportedNS
C78SGRQ: 38.0 ± 17.8Changes after 3 months: −13.86 ± 28.44
Changes after 6 months: −15.13 ± 28.44
Changes after 3/6 months: Not reported
Norweg (2023) (36)I12SGRQ: 52.47 ± 18.08SGRQ: 40.72 ± 16.48p = 0.01Not reported
C3SGRQ: 56.65 ± 11.79SGRQ: 46.69 ± 0.85Not reported

Results of outcome measures of interest in the included studies.

I, intervention; C, control; NS, No significance; NA, Not applicable; 6WMD, 6-min walking distance; SGRQ, St. George Respiratory Questionnaire; QLQ-C30, Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30; ES-CA, Exercise of self-care agency; CRQ, Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire; MMAS-8, Morisky Medication Adherence Scale 8 items; CCQ, Clinical COPD Questionnaire; SF-36, Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36; PCS, Physical component subscale; MCS, Mental component subscale; ISWT, Incremental Shuttle Walk Test; MRC scale, Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale; SEMCD, Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease 6-Item Scale; 1MSTS, 1-min sit-to-stand test; 2MST, 2-Minute Step Test; UCSD-SOBQ, The University of California, San Diego Shortness of Breath Questionnaire.

*

Values are median values and quartiles (in parentheses).

#

The total CRQ score was not reported.

Table 5

Medication adherenceInhalation techniqueSmoking cessationInfluenza vaccinationPhysical activityExercise capacitySelf-efficacyPulmonary functionClinical symptomQuality of life
Social influence
Mobile applications1a1b2b1b
Web-based
Pedometer/devices
Group sessions1a2a2c
Text materials
Gamification
Mobile applications1a
Web-based1b
Pedometer/devices4c1a1b2a
Group sessions
Text materials
Reminder
Mobile applications2b1a
Web-based
Pedometer/devices1a1a
Group sessions
Text materials1b1b1b1a1b1b
Feedback
Mobile applications1a1a1a
Web-based
Pedometer/devices3b1a17c17c6c2a11c19c
Group sessions
Text materials

Effectiveness of nudge elements by delivery mode and targeted outcome.

Numbers in the table represent the number of literatures corresponding to the intervention mode (vertical columns) and targeted outcome (horizontal columns).

a

No statically significant outcome.

b

Statically significant outcome.

c

Mixed results.

In social influence interventions, exercise capacity, self-efficacy, and quality of life were significantly enhanced through mobile applications, while physical activity was ineffective. Using group sessions had inconsistent effects on quality of life and was ineffective for increasing exercise capacity or physical activity. Gamification intervention based on the web effectively increased exercise capacity. Physical activity was unaffected by gamification through mobile applications. Gamification using devices was beneficial for clinical symptoms but ineffective for lung function and quality of life, with conflicting results on exercise capacity.

Though they did not influence exercise capacity, reminders based on text materials were an excellent way to promote medication adherence, inhalation technique, influenza vaccination rates, self-efficacy, and quality of life. Mobile applications and devices that served as reminders had little effect on quality of life. Reminders via devices greatly increased medication adherence. However, mobile applications did not affect pulmonary function.

Through the chronolog, studies that employed feedback as a nudge to enhance medication adherence were effective. Pedometers and other devices had inconsistent impacts on quality of life, clinical symptoms, exercise capacity, self-efficacy, and physical activity, but had no effect on smoking cessation behavior or pulmonary function. Feedback via mobile applications did not influence the quality of life, clinical symptoms, or physical activity.

4 Discussion

To our best knowledge, this study is the first to summarize the evidence regarding the effectiveness of nudge in modifying patients with COPD and improving their health behaviors and outcomes. Prior research by Möllenkamp et al. (9) examined the effectiveness of nudges in enhancing patients’ ability to manage their chronic illnesses, including a subgroup of patients with COPD. However, this study only comprised two trials (14, 44) that were specifically focused on COPD and did not yield substantial conclusions. We included five different types of nudges for investigating the effects of various nudge types on the health behaviors and outcomes of patients with COPD, without restricting RCT studies. The health outcomes also exhibited considerable heterogeneity, including medication adherence, inhalation technique, smoking cessation, influenza vaccination, physical activity, self-efficacy, exercise capacity, pulmonary function, clinical symptoms, and quality of life. Owing to these variabilities, a qualitative synthesis that was consistent with the research by Möllenkamp et al. (9) and Kwan et al. (17) was carried out instead of a meta-analysis. Furthermore, many studies that used nudges might not have mentioned the term “nudge” explicitly because it was just introduced in 2008 (11). In order to expand the scope of inclusion and incorporate as much research on the nudging approach as feasible, our study included terms like social norm, social support, persuasion, and feedback in the search strategy.

Our systematic review found significant effects of nudging on medication adherence, inhalation technique, and vaccination behavior. Medication adherence was significantly improved by reminders via mobile applications or text materials, as well as feedback based on devices. Additionally, reminders through text materials greatly enhance inhalation techniques and vaccination behaviors in patients. The most recent Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease: 2023 Report (1), emphasizes the importance that it is to promote medication adherence, inhalation techniques, vaccination, and other health-related behaviors to further enhance the health outcomes of patients with COPD. On the other hand, low-cost, simple nudging interventions—like using a simple mobile application, equipped with devices such as the chronolog, offering text materials or cards, or simply labeling on inhalation devices—can significantly improve health behaviors and benefit patients with COPD.

Comparisons of intervention types revealed that feedback was the most frequently investigated nudge, followed by gamification, reminders, and social influence. According to our review, nudge-based interventions were found to increase medication adherence, inhalation technique, and vaccine behavior, but not lung function or smoking cessation behavior. It is evident from other outcomes that the type of nudging and the delivery modes have an impact on the results. For instance, social influence had a strong impact, but reminders and feedback were ineffective when mobile applications were utilized as delivery modes to affect the quality of life (47, 49, 61). Reminders sent via text materials significantly improved quality of life (64), whereas no discernible effects were observed with mobile applications or devices (59, 61), suggesting that delivery modes might have a significant impact on the effectiveness given the parallels in study design and patient variables. We were unable to make reliable conclusions regarding the relationship between modes of delivery and health outcomes due to the small number of studies. Hence, more research is required to confirm the impact of different types of nudging on the health behavior outcomes of patients with COPD.

Conflicting outcomes in studies investigating interventions for COPD may be attributable to variations in patient characteristics, such as baseline disease severity and levels of physical activity. For example, Mendoza et al. (37) reported that 80% of participants in their study had mild to moderate COPD, and the use of pedometers was associated with improvements in quality of life, clinical symptoms, exercise capacity, and physical activity. In contrast, a similar intervention yielded no significant effects on physical activity, exercise endurance, or clinical symptoms among patients with severe to very severe COPD (35). Furthermore, Geidl et al. (45) found that patients with high baseline levels of physical activity did not benefit from the intervention in terms of increasing physical activity or improving clinical symptoms. Armstrong et al. (27), however, observed notable improvements in physical activity and clinical symptoms in patients using pedometers as part of their intervention. Interestingly, in the study by Moy et al. (25), more than half of the patients exhibited good baseline health and minimal dyspnea, and the intervention failed to produce significant changes in clinical symptoms or quality of life.

In addition, the duration and season of the interventions may also affect intervention effectiveness. Due to the short intervention period of some studies, statistical significance was not observed for some outcome measures that could only measure significant changes after long-term intervention, such as lung function (29, 42, 56, 59). Since the study by de Blok et al. (41) was carried out in autumn and wintertime, the physical activity of patients did not improve during this time, which made it even more challenging to assess if the nudge was beneficial. Future research should take into account the duration time of the intervention and seasons that would affect the health outcomes of patients with COPD.

The extent of the change in patients’ health behaviors depends on the study design. Several studies have reported the same effects of nudges on patients’ health outcomes, but the conclusions were different. For example, pedometers were utilized in all of these studies as feedback tools to encourage physical activity of patients. The study from Wewel et al. (23) that lacked a control group showed that the physical activity and exercise capacity significantly improved in the intervention group. Similar intervention regimens were employed in other research (45, 46), but no substantial improvements in the outcomes were noted. In the absence of a control group, there is no reason to rule out the possibility that routine care is responsible for improvements in health outcomes. For instance, the study by Geidl et al. (45) indicated that while patients in the control group merely got pulmonary rehabilitation without any nudging intervention, they still exhibited significant changes over time in parameters such as physical activity. A similar result was also observed in the comparison between Berry et al. (14) and Woo et al. (48).

4.1 Limitations

There are several limitations to this study. First, the classification of interventions that fall within the notion of nudge has not yet been widely accepted (11). Numerous studies that supported the nudging theory failed to use this phrase explicitly. To broaden the scope of our search, we chose potentially pertinent research, which also made our search formula not concise. Second, despite having sufficient RCTs (31 of 43), due to the high heterogeneity of the type of intervention, included outcome variables, and study designs, quantitative meta-analysis to examine the intervention effects of nudges is not feasible, so we had to choose the vote counting method as the last thing for narrative synthesis, which did not allow us to critically quantify the effect of nudges. Third, the validity of the results of some studies may be impacted by the small sample size or inadequate statistical power. Last, 15 out of the 43 publications were found to have a high risk of bias. These findings were consistent with those made by Kwan et al. (17) and were related to selection biases, differences in baseline characteristics and outcomes, high attrition rates, and lack of blinded assessment. Although it is currently unknown how these biases affect the way interventions based on nudge are carried out, we did not rule out this research due to its significance in real-world circumstances.

4.2 Implications for future research

This study provides a novel viewpoint on COPD management from the standpoint of behavioral economics since it is the first to explore the application of nudge theory and strategies to the health behaviors and outcomes of patients with COPD. Though the theory is still in its infancy and research on the efficacy of interventions is also still in its early phases, we believe the theory has a promising future. To further examine the impact of nudge in the management of chronic diseases such as COPD, future studies may need to take into account the following points.

Firstly, assuming that academics have come to a consensus on the classification of nudges, we may attempt, incrementally, to examine the individual intervention effect of a particular type of nudge or narrow our emphasis to a single health behavior or result. Whenever feasible, using randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for study design and quantitative meta-analysis may reach more reliable conclusions.

Secondly, to assess the effects of nudges, aim to conduct research in the same context to test their effects, including selecting subjects with the same characteristics, such as age, gender, ethnicity, and even COPD stage. Also consider the impact of the delivery mode of the nudge, the duration and frequency of the intervention, and the season on the effectiveness of the intervention. Performing subgroup analyses based on patient characteristics or intervention delivery mode, etc., might also support the study.

Lastly, a more thorough exploration of the degree to which nudge interventions are effective in their own right requires the exclusion of the confounding effects of other concurrent non-nudge interventions such as education, training, general encouragement, and traditional pulmonary rehabilitation.

5 Conclusion

We have delineated a list of nudging interventions for patients with COPD, including social influence, gamification, reminders, and feedback, which provides a new approach and strategy for COPD management. In particular, medication adherence was significantly improved by reminders via mobile applications (60, 61) or text materials (64), as well as feedback based on devices. Reminders through text materials also greatly enhance inhalation techniques and vaccination behaviors in patients, which can be extensively advocated and employed in healthcare settings. Furthermore, we propose factors such as the delivery modes, the baseline characteristics of patients, and the duration and seasons of interventions that could affect the effectiveness of interventions. By employing the same background settings, further research might verify the impacts of various nudging strategies. It is also important to design the type of study as appropriately as possible.

Statements

Data availability statement

The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/Supplementary material, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding authors.

Author contributions

QW: Writing – review & editing, Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing – original draft. RZ: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. LT: Writing – review & editing, Formal analysis. WC: Formal analysis, Writing – original draft. XC: Formal analysis, Writing – original draft. ZM: Supervision, Writing – review & editing. JZ: Supervision, Writing – review & editing.

Funding

The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank all authors listed in the studies that were included in the current systematic review.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Supplementary material

The Supplementary material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1404590/full#supplementary-material

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Summary

Keywords

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, health behavior, self-management, nudge, systematic review

Citation

Wu Q, Zhang R, Tao L, Cai W, Cao X, Mao Z and Zhang J (2024) Nudge theories and strategies influencing adult health behaviors and outcomes in COPD management: a systematic review. Front. Public Health 12:1404590. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1404590

Received

21 March 2024

Accepted

25 October 2024

Published

05 November 2024

Volume

12 - 2024

Edited by

Silvia Riva, St Mary’s University, Twickenham, United Kingdom

Reviewed by

Loredana Minini, St Mary’s University, Twickenham, United Kingdom

Gayani Gamage, St Mary’s University, Twickenham, United Kingdom

Updates

Copyright

*Correspondence: Jinping Zhang, Zhi Mao,

†These authors have contributed equally to this work and share first authorship

Disclaimer

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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