Digital behavioral dietary interventions to promote a healthy diet among children and adolescents: a scoping review of technologies, design, behavioral theory, and assessed outcomes

Background: Childhood overweight and obesity prevalence steeply increased during recent decades, prompting the development of many digital behavioral dietary interventions (DBDIs). However, a coherent overview is lacking, which is crucial for delineating research in this field. Objective: This scoping review outlines the landscape of DBDIs for improving dietary behaviors in children and adolescents, including delivery modes, design and development approaches, behavioral theory, and outcomes assessed. Secondary objectives involved examining the integration of behavior change techniques (BCTs) and identifying outcomes favoring DBDIs. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, PsycInfo, PubMed, and Scopus were systematically searched for evaluated DBDIs. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts; one performed full-text screening. Studies included had a digital component, targeted dietary behavior, focused on children or adolescents, and evaluated effects on behavior change, health, or process evaluation outcomes. One reviewer extracted data, including general information, theoretical underpinning, and outcomes assessed, while BCTs were coded independently by two reviewers. DBDIs were deemed favorable if significant improvements were observed in all outcomes (p ≤.05). Results: From 51 included studies, 41 DBDIs were identified, including app-based (37%), web-based (29%), computer-based (27%), text-message-based (5%), and combined technology tools (2%). Stakeholders were involved in the design of 59% of DBDIs, with 5% using co-design methodologies. Studies evaluated behavior change outcomes (86%), process evaluation outcomes (59%), and health outcomes (20%). DBDIs included an average of 6.2 BCTs, primarily ‘Feedback on behavior’ (56%) and ‘Non-specific reward’ (46%). Among experimental studies, 15% yielded favorable results, 58% mixed results, and 28% no favorable results. Discussion: This review outlines the diverse landscape of DBDIs, highlighting various technological delivery modes and outcomes assessed. Methodological variations and limitations challenge consistent effectiveness assessment. Future research should prioritize rigorous study designs to understand efficacy and identify effective BCTs among diverse pediatric populations. Leveraging co-design methods may enhance engagement and effectiveness.