Harnessing the question-behavior effect to enhance colorectal cancer screening in an mHealth experiment

L. Hagoel, E. Neter, N. Stein and G. Rennert

American Journal of Public Health, 2016, vol. 106, issue 11, 1998-2004

Abstract: Objectives. To assess whether asking questions about a future behavior changes this behavior (i.e., the question-behavior effect) when applied to a population-level intervention to enhance colorectal cancer screening. Methods. In 2013, text-message reminders were sent to a national sample of 50 000 Israeli women and men aged 50 to 74 years following a fecal occult blood test invitation. Participants were randomized into 4 intervention groups (2 interrogative reminders, with or without reference to social context; 2 noninterrogative reminders, with or without social context) and a no-intervention control group. The outcome was fecal occult blood test uptake (n = 48 091, following attrition). Results. Performance of fecal occult blood test was higher in the interrogative-reminder groups than in the other 3 groups (odds ratio = 1.11; 95% confidence interval = 1.05, 1.19); the effect size was small, varying in the different group comparisons from 0.03 to 0.06. Conclusions. The question-behavior effect appears to be modestly effective in colorectal cancer screening, but the absolute number of potential screenees may translate into a clinically significant health promotion change.

Keywords: aged; Colorectal Neoplasms; controlled study; early cancer diagnosis; female; health promotion; human; Israel; male; middle aged; occult blood; odds ratio; procedures; psychological model; randomized controlled trial; reminder system; socioeconomics; telemedicine; text messaging, Aged; Colorectal Neoplasms; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Health Promotion; Humans; Israel; Male; Middle Aged; Models, Psychological; Occult Blood; Odds Ratio; Reminder Systems; Socioeconomic Factors; Telemedicine; Text Messaging (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2016.303364_6

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2016.303364

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