Behavior change wheel as a tool to promote physical activity in online intervention: a case study

• Published in: Frontiers in psychology Vol. 16; p. 1498351
• Main Authors: Couto, Nuno, Morgado, Vitor, Pereira, Tomás, Vitorino, Anabela, Bento, Teresa, Alves, Susana, Duarte-Mendes, Pedro, Cid, Luís
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 2025
• Subjects: behavior change; behavior change techniques (BCTs); behavior change wheel (BCW); intervention; physical activity; behavior change wheel (BCW); intervention; behavior change; behavior change techniques (BCTs); physical activity
• DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1498351
• ISSN: 1664-1078

Physical activity (PA) has significant health benefits. However, one in four adults does not meet the globally recommended levels of PA. Considering that PA behavior is influenced by various factors operating at multiple levels, including personal, social, and environmental factors, a single-subject behavioral change intervention was developed to promote PA behavior through online sessions. Based on a one-to-one intervention, the Behavior Change Wheel (BCW) methodology was used to design an intervention that was developed for 24 weeks, including eight weeks of online sessions and 16 weeks of follow-up. We observed an increase of metabolic equivalent (MET-min/week; baseline = 2,970; eight weeks = 6,440; 24 weeks = 6,744) and daily steps (baseline = 8,372; eight weeks = 10,234; 24 weeks = 12,142), which provides some evidence for the efficacy of online methodologies, especially in the relation one-to-one. The intervention, designed through BCW, had a positive effect in promoting more PA in a subject of our case study and provided evidence that can be used in further interventions that aim to increase PA levels in the population; however, future studies must be conducted to expand the evidence in other domains.