Evidence on health-promoting lifestyle practices and information and communication technologies: scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Information and communication technologies (ICTs) play a key role in improving health and maintaining health promoting behaviours. ICTs are therefore one potential solution for promoting healthy lifestyles. In addition, they can assist in the reduction and control of the menace of both communicable and non-communicable diseases. This study will map evidence of interventions that demonstrate the effect of ICTs on health-promoting lifestyle practices that can prevent and control diseases. It is anticipated that this study will help identify areas where there is need for primary research.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The following electronic databases will be searched: PsycArticle (EBSCO), PsycINFO (EBSCO), Science direct, PubMed, Medline (EBSCO) and Google Scholar. The study will be conducted in two stages: the first stage will map out the studies descriptively while the second stage will map the additional inclusion criteria of quality assessment. Two independent reviewers will undertake the data extraction. Relevant outcomes of the studies will be analysed thematically using NVIvo computer software. The authors will code all evidence independently. Thereafter the authors will critically cross-examine the relationship of the research questions to the emerging themes from the selected articles. The authors hope to find a large number of studies on health-promoting lifestyles that encompass six-subscales of health-promoting activities (nutrition, stress management, interpersonal relation, self-actualisation, health responsibility, physical activity) and ICT.

DISSEMINATION: This study will be presented in conferences related to health promotion and health-promoting lifestyles. It will also be disseminated in print and electronically.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42016042568.