JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

We review conventional human coaching methodologies following a systematic literature review approach to identify coaching methods, approaches, and components relevant for human coaching. Then, we learn how those identified methods, approaches, and components can be utilized to improve an electronic coaching (eCoaching) process for the promotion of a healthy lifestyle with the support of information and communication technologies (ICT).

Objective:

This study aims at the identification of existing human coaching methodologies for behavior intervention and their applicability for healthy lifestyle management utilizing ICT.

Methods:

We performed a systematic literature review, as proposed by Wendler, to search the scientific databases EBSCOhost, Scopus, ACM, Nature, SpringerLink, IEEE Xplore, MDPI, Google Scholar, and PubMed for publications that included personal coaching (from 2000 to 2019), persuasive eCoaching, and behavior intervention for a healthy lifestyle (from 2014 to 2019). The PRISMA framework was used for evidence-based systematic review and meta-analysis.

Results:

The systematic search resulted in 54 publications, including 47 papers and 7 books. 33 of those publications were related to behavior intervention eCoaching, and the remaining 21 were on human coaching. The most utilized persuasive eCoaching components were intervention (n=10) , personalization (n=8), interaction and co-creation (n=7), goal setting and evaluation (n=6), automation (n=6), and persuasion (n=4). The most relevant aspects for human coaching were behavior (n=18), methodology (n=5), psychology (n=4), and mentoring (n=4). In this study, we have focused on the principles of coaching methodologies to understand the psychology, behavioral science, coaching philosophy, essential coaching components for effective coaching, and associated challenges related to coaching. We have discussed how we can integrate the obtained knowledge into the eCoaching process for healthy lifestyle management using ICT. The identified principles of coaching, relevant for eCoaching were knowledge, coaching skill, observation, interaction, ethics, trust, efficacy study, coaching experience, pragmatism, intervention, goal setting, and evaluation.

Conclusions:

This systematic literature review selected principles, associated strengths, and limitations for behavior intervention from established coaching methods. The identified principles of coaching point towards integrating human psychology in eCoaching to develop effective intervention plans for healthy lifestyle management and overcome existing limitations. It serves as a basis for further research with a focus on designing, development, testing, and evaluation of an intelligent eCoach system's performance for the automatic generation of meaningful, evidence-based, context-specific, personalized recommendations to achieve personal wellness goals