In 2015, Sharma introduced the Multi-Theory Model (MTM), providing descriptions and comparisons with other behavioral theories that had preceded it. According to Sharma’s own perspective, MTM was proposed as one of the fourth-generation theories and was intended to undergo empirical testing. It can be argued that MTM is still in the first decade of its empirical testing and has a considerable path ahead before it can become a theory supported by a substantial body of empirical evidence. According to a systematic review of studies conducted using MTM, which included diverse target populations and a variety of health behaviors from the introduction of the model through 2023 (69 articles in total), 56, 6, and 7 studies employed cross-sectional, qualitative, and experimental designs, respectively. These findings indicate that MTM has primarily been used by researchers to explain health behavior change. What is important, given the dual-model structure of MTM and the multiple explanatory constructs of each section, which to some extent also adds to its complexity, is the close attention that researchers pay to how to use this model in research. For example, in interventional studies, sections such as educational program design, intervention implementation, measurement tools design and psychometrics, and evaluation based on MTM must have sufficient coherence, coordination and adaptability, comprehensiveness, and transparency. Finally, it is recommended that more care and attention be paid to research designs when using models and theories, especially those that are in the empirical stages, such as MTM.

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