Technology-Enabled Interventions in Sport: A Systematic Review

Health promotion interventions that leverage sport fandom or participation have been shown to be effective regarding a range of health outcomes. Digital technology can facilitate health promotion efforts; however, little is known about how technology-enabled interventions can be tailored for the sport context, specifically. This research contributes to this body of knowledge by consolidating current evidence for technology-enabled health promotion in the sport context via a systematic review. Searches were conducted for studies published in English between 2018 and 2023, including key words and MeSH terms related to gamification, digital technology, health promotion, health behaviours, and sport. A total of 13 studies met the inclusion criteria. The interventions in these studies produced positive outcomes for a range of health outcomes and differed in relation to two factors. These were 1.) the integration with the sport context, and 2.) how technology was employed. The results demonstrated that there are few effective interventions that have been strongly embedded in the sport context and employ innovative digital technology elements. The findings also demonstrate existing scope to produce sustained positive outcomes by more cohesively harnessing both technology and sport in a way that is attuned to the challenges and opportunities present in community settings.