Delivering Behaviour Change Techniques via Short Text Messages to Promote Active Travel

Abstract

Active travel has many benefits for both individuals and societies. While the number of interventions aiming to promote active travel increases, it is usually not easy to deliver those interventions, identify ‘active components’ of them, and/or replicate them. The current paper reports two studies testing interventions that used SMS messages to deliver behaviour change techniques (BCTs) based on the Control Theory (i.e., goal-setting (behaviour), action planning, self-monitoring of behaviour). Study 1 sought to increase the use of a bike share scheme. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups that received messages for three BCTs (n = 26), one BCT (n = 29), or no BCTs (n = 40) and were followed up one month later. The effect of intervention on bike use was significant when two intervention groups were combined and compared to the control group. Study 2 tested an intervention to decrease car use. Participants were randomly allocated to one of two experimental groups that receive three BCTs (n = 29) versus no BCTs (n = 32). The effect of the intervention on car use was marginally significant. The results of the two studies suggest that interventions delivering BCTs via SMS message may be used to promote active travel, although both studies were underpowered. Given the relative ease and low cost of delivering psychosocial interventions via SMS messages, the potential public health impact at a population level is, nonetheless, likely to be important.