Time to form a habit: A systematic review and meta-analysis of health behaviour habit formation and its determinants
Healthy lifestyles are built on developing essential habits, highlighting the importance of cultivating positive habits while eliminating negative ones for sustained behavior change. This review by Singh et al. (2024) explores the time needed for creating health-related habits. To locate experimental intervention studies utilizing self-reported habit or automaticity measures (for example, the self-report behavioral automaticity index or the self-report habit index) or the time needed to achieve automaticity in health-related behaviors, a search of six databases (Scopus, CINAHL, PsychINFO, Medline, EMBASE, and PubMed) was carried out. Habit formation factors were also assessed. A meta-analysis was done to compare habit scores before and after intervention, and study quality was evaluated using the PEDro scale. The review included 20 studies with 2601 participants (average age 21.5–73.5 years). There was a substantial probability of bias in eleven studies. Health behaviors studied included physical activity (8 studies), drinking water (2), vitamin consumption (1), flossing (3), healthy eating (8), microwaving a dishcloth (2), and reducing sedentary behavior (1). Four investigations reported the median or mean duration for habit development; the median and mean timeframes ranged from 59 to 66 days and 106 to 154 days, respectively, with significant individual variation (4–335 days). The meta-analysis found significant improvement in habit scores across different behaviors from pre- to post-intervention. Factors like frequency, timing, type of habit, personal choice, emotional responses, behavioral control, and preparatory habits influenced habit strength, with morning routines and self-chosen habits generally being stronger. Health-related habit formation typically takes about two months, though the exact time varies widely among individuals. The study’s limited sample size was a drawback, especially for flossing and diet habits. Nevertheless, the results suggest that targeted interventions can improve habit strength across various behaviors. Future research should focus on expanding the evidence base with higher-quality studies to understand better and promote the formation of healthy habits. [NPID: Habit formation, health behaviours, systematic review, automaticity, interventions]
Year: 2024