Texts May Encourage Healthy Behaviors Among Teens

Texts May Encourage Healthy Behaviors Among Teens

When researchers at the University of Arizona (UA) in Tucson were considering how to provide tips on health and nutrition to adolescents, they thought about what teenagers spend much of their day doing—texting. To investigate this communication possibility, a team led by UA Assistant Research Professor Melanie Hingle, PhD, MPH, RD, conducted a year-long study that involved 177 participants between the ages of 12 and 18 to see if they would be receptive to receiving texts about health. More than 300 messages and delivery methods were developed and tested.

Not surprisingly, the researchers found that the degree of receptivity hinged on the tone and phrasing of the messages. Results showed that the subjects preferred messages with an active voice that recommended specific, achievable behaviors. Rather than being told what to do and using words such as “always” or “never,” teens preferred encouraging verbs such as “try” or “consider.”

While the participants were, overall, enthusiastic about receiving nutrition and physical activity messages on their mobile phones, they were averse to receiving more than two health-related messages per day. The teenagers also provided specific feedback about the messages they enjoyed most. The most popular were interactive or actionable and addressed specifically to their age group—such as recipes and quizzes, or messages that provided links that offered additional information on the topic. Interesting facts not necessarily related to health were also well received (eg, “Carrots were originally purple”), as were those that provided information that easily translated to behaviors (eg, “Walking can burn 80 calories to 100 calories per mile”). Study participants expressed disdain, however, for messages that began with, “Did you know?”

With obesity rates rising among young people in the United States, the researchers hope that providing texts about healthy eating and the importance of exercise will increase the reach and effectiveness of the messaging. The study, which appeared in the January/February issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, suggests that additional research is needed on the potential of texting as an information-dispensing tool; the ability of texting to change knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors; and how to best customize the messages.