New MELIORA-led meta-review published in Health Psychology Review

Supporting women with breast cancer and breast cancer survivors to adopt healthier lifestyles is a key pillar of cancer prevention and survivorship care. But how should interventions be designed to actually make a difference in everyday behaviours like physical activity, nutrition, and weight management?

A new MELIORA-led scientific publication, recently published in Health Psychology Review, brings much-needed clarity to this question. The study systematically examined which behaviour change techniques (BCTs) are most consistently used in effective interventions for women with breast cancer and breast cancer survivors.

Why this study matters

Many lifestyle interventions aim to promote physical activity, healthy eating, or weight management after a breast cancer diagnosis. However, interventions often differ widely in content, making it difficult for researchers, clinicians, and programme designers to know which elements truly drive positive change.

Rather than focusing on individual studies, this new research takes a broader perspective by conducting a meta-review: by synthesising evidence from 37 existing reviews, the study identifies which behaviour change techniques are supported by evidence across different settings and outcomes.

What are behaviour change techniques?

Behaviour change techniques are the active ingredients of lifestyle interventions. They are specific strategies designed to help people change behaviour, such as: – setting goals – planning actions – self-monitoring progress – receiving feedback or social support

This study draws on established taxonomies, including the widely used Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy developed by Michie and colleagues.

Key findings: six techniques that stand out

The meta-review analysed evidence across three key outcomes: – physical activity – healthy nutrition – healthy body mass / weight management

While many techniques showed promise for individual behaviours (especially physical activity), six behaviour change techniques emerged as consistently effective across all three outcomes:

  • Goal setting – defining clear behavioural or outcome goals
  • Problem solving – identifying barriers and finding practical solutions
  • Action planning – specifying when, where, and how behaviours will be performed
  • Reviewing goals – regularly reflecting on and adjusting goals
  • Social rewards – positive reinforcement from others
  • Positive self-talk – encouraging internal dialogue to support behaviour change

These techniques appear particularly valuable for interventions aiming to address multiple lifestyle behaviours at the same time.

Beyond single-behaviour approaches

An important insight from the study is that many techniques are effective mainly for physical activity, but show weaker or inconsistent evidence for nutrition or weight outcomes.

This highlights the importance of carefully selecting behaviour change techniques when designing multi-behaviour interventions, rather than assuming that strategies effective for exercise alone will automatically translate to other health behaviours.

Implications for MELIORA and future interventions

These findings directly support MELIORA’s mission to develop evidence-based, person-centered digital interventions for breast cancer prevention and survivorship. By identifying which techniques are most robustly linked to positive outcomes, the study provides practical guidance for:

  • designing more effective lifestyle interventions
  • informing digital and AI-supported behaviour change tools
  • supporting healthcare professionals and policymakers

Importantly, the results also underline the need to move beyond “one-size-fits-all” approaches and towards thoughtfully designed interventions that combine proven techniques in meaningful ways.

Full article published by Health Psychology Review.

Read the preprint on Zenodo (open access).