Assessing the effectiveness of if-then plans to facilitate increased fruit and vegetable intake in adults

Abstract

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are prevalent, causing high rates of morbidity and mortality. A diet rich in fruit and vegetables are important in the prevention and management of NCDs. If-then plans is a planning strategy that could facilitate eating behaviour change by creating a mental link between a cue and a response in an “If…, then…”-structure. The aim was to investigate the effectiveness of if-then plans to facilitate increased fruit and vegetable intake in adults. The second objective was to investigate if the effectiveness of if-then plans is related to differences in sample population or planning factors. A systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis (REML) were conducted and reported (PRISMA 2020). Three databases were searched (Nov. 2022). Included studies were RCTs, testing the effect of if-then plans on fruit and/or vegetable intake in adults. Quality of the evidence was assessed with RoB 2 and GRADE. Ten studies were included. If-then plans had a small statistically significant effect (SMD(d) = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.37) on fruit and vegetable intake. There was not a statistically significant difference between subgroups (both ps > .05). The confidence in the evidence was graded to be of moderate quality.