A text messaging intervention was tested to encourage three healthy behaviors: flossing, fruit consumption, and vegetable consumption. Participants received daily text messages targeting their assigned behavior with tips and reminders based on persuasion techniques. After one week, 62.5% of participants fully achieved their behavior change goal, with an additional 25% becoming more conscious of their behavior. The conclusions were that targeted, timed text messages showed potential to motivate small healthy changes and the next step would be a longer-term test of personalized messages.

1. Text Messaging
intervention
Sepideh Zohreh
NTR 598

2. Problem/Rationale
Dental Health:
• The American Dental Association states that only about 12
percent of Americans floss daily, 39 percent floss less than
daily, and 49 percent do not floss at all.
Consumption of fruits and vegetables:
• The 2011 Gallup report on American’s eating habit shows
that Frequent Fruit and Vegetable Consumption is down
across demographic groups. Produce consumption is down
the most among Hispanics, young adults, seniors, and
women this year compared with 2010.

3. Solution tested
Created a text messaging intervention based on BJ Fogg’s
model and Cialdini’s Persuasions for three different groups: flossing, veggies, fruits.
Set small goals for each group:
floss daily
add 1 cup of veggies to your diet
Add 1 cup of fruits to your diet
Each participant received one daily message at a set time : flossing group at nighttime, veggie group
before dinner time and fruit group in the afternoon.
Example of text messages:
- According to the American Dental association only 12% of American floss daily. Let’s be part
of that group! Time to floss! And say DONE! (Social proof & consistency- Cialdini)
- Hi! Did you know that flossing can help you keep your teeth for a lifetime? And it only takes 2-
3 min to do it! (Consistency – Cialdini)

4. Results from one week test
Participants Prior behavior Post behavior
S.A. Ate avg. 1 fruit daily Ate 2 fruits daily
Si. Z. Ate avg. of 3 fruits/ Ate 1 fruit daily
wk
Sa. Z. Ate 1 Ate 1 cup extra
cup/veggie/day veggies
Ju. H Ate 1 Do not have data
cup/veggie/wk
Jo. C. Flossed a few days Flossed 3 out of 7
after dentist visit days
D. S. Flossed a few days Flossed 7 times
after dentist visit
F. B. Flossed 1time/wk Flossed 7 times
H. A. Flossed 3-4 Flossed 6 out of 7
times/wk days.

5. Conclusions and next steps
Participation rate was 80% .
Rate of success (achieved 100% of their goals): 62.5%
62.5% of the participants were motivated and/or felt the pressure to make
the tiny health behavior change.
25% of the participants became more conscious about their behavior.
Next step: Send personalized targeted messages at a set time, for a longer
period of time.