Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine最新文献

{"title":"Trait mindfulness is protective for development of psychological distress in women with early breast cancer.","authors":"Isabel Manica, Sílvia Almeida, Raquel Lemos, Berta Sousa, Albino J Oliveira-Maia","doi":"10.1080/21642850.2025.2517599","DOIUrl":"10.1080/21642850.2025.2517599","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Breast cancer causes significant psychological and physical burden, with survivors often reporting persistent psychological symptoms, such as anxiety and depression, along with somatic symptoms like fatigue and pain. Psychological factors may protect from the development of long-term distress and help identify patients with greater needs for supervision and/or care. Here we aimed to study the predictive role of mindfulness as a trait in determining affective and somatic symptoms 12 months after cancer diagnosis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Women with a diagnosis of breast cancer were recruited at the onset of systemic treatments and compared with healthy women from the general population. Over a 12-month period, participants were periodically assessed using the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire - Core 30 and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale. Regression models were employed to assess the predictive associations of baseline mindfulness trait with symptoms after 12 months.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study included 282 participants, 243 of whom contributed complete data for analysis. The Portuguese version of MAAS demonstrated adequate psychometric properties for patients with breast cancer, supporting its use to address our main aim. Mindfulness trait scores remained stable across time, did not differ significantly between patients and healthy participants, and were similarly stable across time for patients undergoing different treatments. Also in the clinical group, MAAS scores at baseline significantly predicted affective, but not somatic symptoms, 12 months later, with higher levels of mindfulness predicting more clinically significant distress.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In women with a recent diagnosis of breast cancer, mindfulness trait appears unaffected by diagnosis or its treatments, serving as a protective factor against affective, but not somatic, symptoms, in the first year following diagnosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":12891,"journal":{"name":"Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine","volume":"13 1","pages":"2517599"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12175184/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144325321","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Psychological correlates of hearing protective behaviors in adolescents and young adults: a systematic review.","authors":"Tjeerd Idger de Zeeuw, Gjalt-Jorn Peters, Lisanne de Regt, Anneloes Baan, Catherine A W Bolman","doi":"10.1080/21642850.2025.2507264","DOIUrl":"10.1080/21642850.2025.2507264","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Noise-induced hearing loss is both irreversible and preventable. However, only a minority of adolescents and young adults engage in hearing protective behaviors (HPBs) that reduce their exposure to noise, such as wearing earplugs at music venues. To promote HPBs it is imperative to know the most influential, and potentially modifiable, psychological factors that in this age group stimulate or hinder these protective behaviors.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The present study aims to offer a systematic literature overview of psychological correlates of HPBs in persons aged 12 to 25 years, and identify the correlates with most potential as behavioral intervention targets.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A total of 82 studies were included in the present review, of which data of 24 studies could be used to assess the strength of the association between one or more psychological factors and HPB. Heterogeneity between studies hindered synthesis. In particular, psychological constructs and HPBs were rarely defined and measured in a uniform manner. Studies were further characterized by a lack of research on psychological factors related to other HPBs than earplug use, such as sound volume control (e.g. the use of a volume limiter). Due to this relative absence of data, associations could not be assessed for specific HPB, and HPBs were aggregated in one variable. Taking into account both the strength of their associations with HPB and their univariate distributions, five psychological factors possessed the greatest potential as behavioral intervention targets: attitude toward recreational noise, perceived barriers, capacity, perceived norms, and perceived threat susceptibility. These results can help the development of new interventions. Additional research is however needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":12891,"journal":{"name":"Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine","volume":"13 1","pages":"2507264"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12175190/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144325320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mindfulness-based cognitive program as a potential intervention for managing smartphone addiction and resilience in adolescents: a pilot evaluation.","authors":"Anson Chui Yan Tang, Regina Lai-Tong Lee, Alex Chi-Keung Chan, Rick Yiu Cho Kwan, Paul Hong Lee","doi":"10.1080/21642850.2025.2508833","DOIUrl":"10.1080/21642850.2025.2508833","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Smartphone Addiction (SA) is a rising global behavioral issue among adolescents. Extant studies rarely explore interventions to lower the risk of SA and increase resilience for adolescents.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To investigate the feasibility of the study protocol designed with a cluster-RCT and examine the preliminary effect of the first 4-week group mindfulness-based cognitive program (MBCP) on Smartphone Addiction risk and resilience in young adolescents.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A quasi-experimental approach was used. Two primary schools were randomly allocated into two study groups. 23 and 28 aged 10-11 adolescents were recruited for waitlist control and intervention groups, respectively. Intervention group received the first 4 weeks of the MBCP. The risk of Smartphone Addiction was measured by Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version. Smartphone behavior was evaluated by daily time spent on smartphone and frequency of using smartphone functions. Resilience was evaluated by Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. Data was collected before intervention (T0) and after the fourth session (week 4,T1).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Attrition rate, participation rate, and compliance with daily home practice were 10.7%, 80%, and 64%, respectively. There were no significant differences in outcome variables between groups. In within-group comparison, the posttest resilience score was significantly greater than that of the pretest in intervention group (Z = -2.37, <i>p</i> = 0.02), with a moderate effect size (<i>d</i>) of 0.52. No significant within-group differences were found for all smartphone behavioral outcomes (<i>p</i> > 0.05). However, the within-group effect size (<i>d</i>) of total smartphone addiction score in the intervention(I) group was larger than that of the control(C) (<i>d</i> _I =-0.13; <i>d</i> _C = 0.06). It gives clue to the potential influence of mindfulness practice on adolescents' smartphone behavior.</p><p><strong>Discussion and conclusions: </strong>The preliminary findings suggest that MBCP may be a potential intervention to manage smartphone addiction problems in young adolescents in Hong Kong's school context. Further refinement of intervention protocol to boost parents' participation and compliance with daily practice is needed to ensure practice adherence.</p>","PeriodicalId":12891,"journal":{"name":"Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine","volume":"13 1","pages":"2508833"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12172079/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144316779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"What's in a cue?: Using natural language processing to quantify content characteristics of episodic future thinking in the context of overweight and obesity.","authors":"Haylee Downey, Shuangshuang Xu, Sareh Ahmadi, Aditya Shah, Jeremiah M Brown, Warren K Bickel, Leonard H Epstein, Allison N Tegge, Edward A Fox, Jeffrey S Stein","doi":"10.1080/21642850.2025.2510417","DOIUrl":"10.1080/21642850.2025.2510417","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Episodic future thinking (EFT), an intervention in which participants vividly imagine their future, has been explored as a cognitive intervention to reduce delay discounting and decrease engagement in harmful health behaviors. In these studies, participants generate text descriptions of personally meaningful future events. The content of these text descriptions, or cues, is heterogeneous and can vary along several dimensions (e.g. references to health, celebrations, family; vividness; emotional valence). However, little work has quantified this heterogeneity or potential importance for EFT's efficacy. To better understand the potential impact of EFT content in the context of health behavior change (e.g. diet) among people with or at risk for obesity and related conditions, we used data from 19 prior EFT studies, including 1705 participants (mean body mass index = 33.1) who generated 9714 cues. We used natural language processing to classify EFT content and examined whether EFT content moderated effects on delay discounting. Cues most commonly involved recreation, food, and spending time with family, and least commonly involved references to health and self-improvement. Cues were generally classified as highly vivid, episodic, and positively valent (consistent with the intervention's design). In multivariate regression with model selection, EFT content did not significantly moderate the effect of the episodic thinking intervention. Thus, we find no evidence that any of the content characteristics we examined were important moderators of the efficacy of EFT in reducing delay discounting. This suggests that EFT's efficacy is robust against variability in these characteristics. However, note that in all studies, EFT methods were designed to generate high levels of vividness, episodicity, and emotional valence, potentially resulting in a ceiling effect in these content areas. Moreover, EFT content was not experimentally manipulated, limiting causal inference. Future studies should experimentally examine these and other content characteristics and evaluate their possible role in EFT's efficacy.</p>","PeriodicalId":12891,"journal":{"name":"Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine","volume":"13 1","pages":"2510417"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12135091/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144225311","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Examining the relationship between endometriosis and psychological distress: roles of cultural background, body image and self-criticism in women's health.","authors":"Shulamit Geller, Sigal Levy, Ronit Avitsur","doi":"10.1080/21642850.2025.2511980","DOIUrl":"10.1080/21642850.2025.2511980","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Endometriosis, a chronic condition affecting 10-15% of women of reproductive age, often leads to psychological distress (PD), including depression and anxiety. This study examined how body image and self-criticism mediate the relationship between endometriosis and PD, comparing Israeli women to those from English-speaking countries, and explored the moderating role of cultural background.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 437 women from Israel and English-speaking countries. Participants completed questionnaires to evaluate depression symptoms, anxiety, self-criticism, and body appreciation. Data were analyzed using multivariate MANOVA and moderated mediation models.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Women with endometriosis showed higher PD, with significant differences by cultural background. Israeli participants reported higher depression and anxiety. The mediation model showed that body image and self-criticism were significant mediators in the endometriosis-PD link, a process consistent across cultural groups. However, the direct effect of endometriosis on PD was stronger among Israeli women.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings highlight the impact of cultural context on PD on women with endometriosis, emphasizing body image and self-criticism as intervention targets. This study underscores the importance of culturally sensitive support for mental health in endometriosis, with implications for clinical practice and public health strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":12891,"journal":{"name":"Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine","volume":"13 1","pages":"2511980"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12131543/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144215665","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring longitudinal physiologic stress measurement and sleep quality interventions to improve psychological well-being in nurses: a pilot study.","authors":"Allison A Norful, Krystyna de Jacq, Jiawen Zhao, Yuandi Gao, Kathryn Asadoorian, Yilei Yang, Hyun Jin Jung, Ari Shechter","doi":"10.1080/21642850.2025.2503376","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2025.2503376","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Rates of depression, burnout, and anxiety among nurses are high. Improving sleep quality may mitigate psychological distress, but research on effective sleep interventions for nurses is limited. This pilot study explored the preliminary effects of the Somni© sleep quality kit on sleep, stress, and psychological health among nurses using continuous physiologic data from the Oura ring©.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A prospective pilot trial was conducted with 25 nurses. Participants wore the Oura ring© for eight weeks to collect data on heart rate variability (HRV) and sleep. The Somni© sleep kit, containing evidence-based sleep aids, was introduced from weeks 4-8. Participants completed surveys at baseline, 4, and 8 weeks to assess sleep quality, stress, burnout, and depressive symptoms. Data were analyzed using paired t-tests and linear mixed-effect models.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The sample was predominantly White (64%), non-Hispanic (88%), and female (84%). Lavender spray and white noise machines were the most frequently used sleep aids. Self-reported sleep latency significantly decreased (<i>p</i> = 0.03), with a trend toward improved sleep quality. No significant changes were observed in physiologic metrics or depressive symptoms. Effect sizes ranged from moderate to small, with the greatest improvement in sleep latency.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The Somni© sleep kit showed potential for improving self-reported sleep quality and sleep latency, especially through non-pharmacologic interventions. While the results were mixed, this study supports the feasibility of using wearable devices to track sleep and stress in nurses. Future research should include larger samples and investigate the long-term effects of sleep interventions on nurses' mental health.</p>","PeriodicalId":12891,"journal":{"name":"Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine","volume":"13 1","pages":"2503376"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12077477/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144077523","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A new mindfulness and psycho-educative program for treatment of brain fatigue, evaluated after an acquired brain injury and multiple sclerosis.","authors":"Gustaf Glavå, Lars Rönnbäck, Birgitta Johansson","doi":"10.1080/21642850.2025.2502039","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2025.2502039","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> Fatigue is a common long-term problem after illnesses affecting the brain, having substantial impact on work ability, social activities, and quality of life. Treatment has been requested in the healthcare and by patients. The aim of this randomized pilot study is to evaluate a new Brain Fatigue and Mindfulness program (BF-M) for participants suffering from long-term fatigue after an acquired brain injury or Multiple Sclerosis. BF-M consists of six biweekly group meetings. Meditation is practiced, knowledge is imparted about fatigue and participants have time to share and discuss common issues. <b>Methods:</b> A mixed method research design is used with quantitative and qualitative methods. Sixteen participants completed BF-M and 16 controls on waitlist responded to questionnaires before and after the intervention. <b>Results:</b> After the program, the BF-M group had a significant reduction in BF and anxiety compared to the controls. The analysis of 13 interviews with BF-M participants suggested that: (1) BF-M became a space for the participants to exchange and share experiences associated with BF; (2) the participants felt more understood and less alone; and (3) they learned how to better understand and live with brain fatigue. <b>Conclusions:</b> This study showed that BF-M may reduce brain fatigue and help participants to better manage their difficulties. Based on this pilot study, we suggest that BF-M may be considered as a rehabilitation option for brain fatigue. However, more confirmatory research with larger and different patient groups is needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":12891,"journal":{"name":"Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine","volume":"13 1","pages":"2502039"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12064098/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144016019","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"'We need to make \"shit\" sexy' a qualitative study exploring treatment adherence in adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease.","authors":"Cassandra Screti, Lou Atkinson, Rachel Shaw, Rafeeq Muhammed, Gemma Heath","doi":"10.1080/21642850.2025.2500323","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2025.2500323","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> Adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are faced with the complexities of acquiring self-management behaviours at a time when they are also navigating developmental challenges associated with adolescence. To date, limited treatment adherence interventions exist to support adolescents with IBD. <b>Aim:</b> To explore the experience and support needs of adolescents with IBD to facilitate optimum treatment adherence. <b>Method:</b> Thirty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted with adolescents with IBD (<i>n</i> = 12), parents of adolescents with IBD (<i>n</i> = 13) and healthcare professionals who support adolescents with IBD (<i>n</i> = 8). Adolescents and parents completed a creative task to prioritise adherence barriers and adherence intervention strategies. <b>Results:</b> The analysis generated three key themes: (1) striving for normality, (2) taking responsibility for IBD management and (3) seeking supportive environments. Living with IBD was often perceived as living a limited life, as adolescents had to manage their symptoms, which resulted in feelings of difference and stigmatisation. To manage their IBD, adolescents were required to develop treatment routines and communicate their health needs. Parents wanted to protect their child from the burden of living with IBD. Synthesis of findings with a creative mapping task generated seven priorities for intervention. <b>Discussion:</b> Adolescents discussed the complexity behind their adherence behaviours and the formation of treatment perceptions. The adherence barriers identified within this research can be utilised to develop a treatment adherence intervention that is effective for adolescents with IBD.</p>","PeriodicalId":12891,"journal":{"name":"Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine","volume":"13 1","pages":"2500323"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12057774/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143977505","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unlocking optimism in everyday life: a short-term study on the power of live comedy to reduce stress and anxiety in general public.","authors":"Toshiko Tomisawa, Kayo Horie, Naoya In, Naoki Nanashima, Shizuka Takamagi, Kasumi Mikami","doi":"10.1080/21642850.2025.2493141","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2025.2493141","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Although there have been many studies on laughter and health, few studies have clarified the effects of laughter on optimism and pessimism, as well as anxiety. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of viewing a comedy live performance on optimism, pessimism, and anxiety, sAA as a stress marker, and examine the relationship between laughter attitude and optimism, pessimism and stress marker and clarify significant factors that contribute to optimism.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this pre - post study, we evaluated the effects on attendees of laughter elicited by a comedy live performance (CLP). The participants were 110 volunteers aged 18-64 years. Participants attended a two-hour CLP by four famous Japanese comedians (Sisonnu, Tonikaku Akarui Yasumura, Mouchugakusei, and Panther) and completed pre - and post-event questionnaires that included items from the Japanese Optimism and Pessimism Scale (JOPS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Laughter Attitude Scale (LAS) and Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The valid response rate was 101. Participants' optimism was higher, and pessimism, anxiety and sAA were lower, after attending the CLP. α-amylase was significantly lower in more people before and after CLP. Factors contributing to optimism were strongly influenced by the degree to which people made them laugh, as well as pessimism, anxiety, and forced laughter.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The personal factors contributing most strongly to optimism were 'A state that makes you laugh,' as well as pessimism, anxiety, and a low level of 'Forced Laughter.' Attending a two-hour CLP increased optimism and decreased stress level, pessimism and anxiety, these effects were more pronounced in those who laughed regularly in their everyday lives.</p>","PeriodicalId":12891,"journal":{"name":"Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine","volume":"13 1","pages":"2493141"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12024504/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143980624","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bridging the digital health divide: a narrative review of the causes, implications, and solutions for digital health inequalities.","authors":"Max J Western, Eline S Smit, Thomas Gültzow, Efrat Neter, Falko F Sniehotta, Olivia S Malkowski, Charlene Wright, Heide Busse, Carmen Peuters, Lucia Rehackova, Angelo Gabriel Oteșanu, Ben Ainsworth, Christopher M Jones, Michael Kilb, Angela M Rodrigues, Olga Perski, Alison Wright, Laura König","doi":"10.1080/21642850.2025.2493139","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2025.2493139","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> Digital health interventions have the potential to improve health at a large scale globally by improving access to healthcare services and health-related information, but they tend to benefit more affluent and privileged groups more than those less privileged. <b>Methods:</b> In this narrative review, we describe how this 'digital health divide' can manifest across three different levels reflecting inequalities in access, skills and benefits or outcomes (i.e. the first, second, and tertiary digital divide)<i>.</i> We also discuss four key causes of this digital divide: (i)) digital health literacy as a fundamental determinant; (ii) other personal, social, community, and societal level determinants; (iii) how technology and intervention development contribute to; and (iv) how current research practice exacerbates the digital health divide by developing a biased evidence base. Finally, we formulate implications for research, policy, and practice. <b>Results:</b> Specific recommendations for research include to keep digital health interventions and measurement instruments up to date with fastpaced technological changes, and to involve diverse populations in digital intervention development and evaluation research. For policy and practice, examples of recommendations are to insist on inclusive and accessible design of health technology and to ensure support for digital health intervention enactment prioritises those most vulnerable to the digital divide. <b>Conclusion:</b> We conclude by highlighting the importance of addressing the digital health divide to ensure that as digital technologies' inevitable presence grows, it does not leave those who could benefit most from innovative health technology behind.</p>","PeriodicalId":12891,"journal":{"name":"Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine","volume":"13 1","pages":"2493139"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12020140/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144013766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}