JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Recommender systems are pivotal in organising information to enhance noticeability, reduce overload, and streamline decision-making. They can be even more effective if combined with digital nudges. Digital nudging is a subtle form of using design, information and interaction elements to guide user behaviour in digital environments. While these approaches have shown promise in various fields, there is a notable gap in health promotion addressing their explicit use in nutrition, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour reduction for overweight and obesity prevention.

Objective:

This scoping review addresses these gaps by exploring how digital nudges and recommender systems are employed in these areas.

Methods:

The scoping review was prospectively registered and adheres to the PRISMA-SCR guidelines. Eligibility was defined using the PCC (Population, Concept, Context) framework. Seven bibliographic databases (MEDLINE and PsycINFO via Ovid, Web of Science, CINHAL via Ebsco, Scopus, ACM Digital Library, and IEEE Xplore) were searched up to October 2023. Following a two-stage screening by independent reviewers, 1.265 articles were screened, resulting in the selection of 68 articles, covering 94 evaluations for inclusion.

Results:

Most articles report on recommender systems concentrated on nutrition (n=36), with fewer aiming at promoting physical activity (n=11). Most studies on digital nudges (n=11) targeted nutrition related to shopping and meal selection (n=8), while physical activity and sedentary behaviour were less frequently addressed (n=3). 3 articles report on recommender systems in combination with games, and 2 articles on recommend systems and digital nudges. Approaches used for item retrieval vary greatly, with 31 articles not further describing the methods used. There is a discrepancy between the target group the system is developed for and the group with which the evaluation is done.

Conclusions:

Integrating digital nudges and recommender systems holds significant potential in overweight and obesity prevention by subtly encouraging healthier lifestyle choices. However, considerable research gaps remain. Future work should include detailed definitions, mechanism descriptions, broader geographic representation, and rigorous intervention testing and user evaluations to fully leverage these systems for improved health outcomes and support sustainability and well-being. Clinical Trial: not applicable