Journal of Medical Internet Research - International Scientific Journal for Medical Research, Information and Communication on the Internet

Promoting physical activity and healthy eating is important to combat the unprecedented rise in NCDs in many developing countries. Using modern information-and communication technologies to deliver physical activity and diet interventions is particularly promising considering the increased proliferation of such technologies in many developing countries. The objective of this systematic review is to investigate the effectiveness of e-& mHealth interventions to promote physical activity and healthy diets in developing countries. Major databases and grey literature sources were searched to retrieve studies that quantitatively examined the effectiveness of e-& mHealth interventions on physical activity and diet outcomes in developing countries. Additional studies were retrieved through citation alerts and scientific social media allowing study inclusion until August 2016. The CONSORT checklist was used to assess the risk of bias of the included studies. A total of 15 studies conducted in 13 developing countries in Europe, Africa, Latin-and South America and Asia were included in the review. The majority of studies enrolled adults who were healthy or at risk of diabetes or hypertension. The average intervention length was 6.4 months, and text messages and the Internet were the most frequently used intervention delivery channels. Risk of bias across the studies was moderate (55.7 % of the criteria fulfilled). Eleven studies reported significant positive effects of an e-& mHealth intervention on physical activity and/or diet behaviour. Respectively, 50 % and 70 % of the interventions were effective in promoting physical activity and healthy diets. The majority of studies demonstrated that e-& mHealth interventions were effective in promoting physical activity and healthy diets in developing countries. Future interventions should use more rigorous study designs, investigate the cost-effectiveness and reach of interventions, and focus on emerging technologies, such as smart phone apps and wearable activity trackers. The review protocol can be retrieved from the PROSPERO database (Registration ID: CRD42015029240 ).

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, eLearning became the lifeline of higher education. We explored university educators’ eLearning perspectives, practices, and future adoption intentions. In-depth interviews with 14 educators from a large university in Singapore were conducted. Educators had limited eLearning experience prior to COVID-19 emergency eLearning and expressed strong preferences for in-person sessions. The short notice to switch to eLearning and lack of eLearning experiences created stress and anxiety. Educators responded by making efforts that allowed for teaching to continue, conceding that some expectations had to be readjusted. Despite many obstacles, educators acknowledged reduced apprehension towards eLearning. Reflecting upon their experiences, educators highlighted opportunities and challenges of eLearning. A key opportunity was increased flexibility, which enabled students to learn independently. Additionally, eLearning triggered reflection upon educators teaching which could lead to improved practice. Reduction of some barriers to student–educator interaction were also mentioned. Key challenges include creating social, emotional, and cognitive engagement, catering to diverse student needs and providing holistic learning experiences. Considering opportunities and challenges, educators envisioned that eLearning would feature in their future teaching if practical and helpful for achieving educational goals. Hybrid or blended learning approaches were preferred, but support enabling the implementation of technology-based and pedagogy-informed teaching is necessary.

Journal of Medical Internet Research - International Scientific Journal for Medical Research, Information and Communication on the Internet

Journal of Medical Internet Research - International Scientific Journal for Medical Research, Information and Communication on the Internet