| 1. |
- Alexandrou, Christina, et al.
(författare)
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Adapting a Parental Support App to Promote Healthy Diet and Physical Activity Behaviors (MINISTOP) for a Multi-Ethnic Setting : A Qualitative Study on the Needs and Preferences of Parents and Nurses within Swedish Child Health Care
- 2021
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Ingår i: Nutrients. - : MDPI. - 2072-6643. ; 13:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Early efforts for prevention of childhood overweight and obesity are needed. In order to adapt an app promoting healthy diet and physical activity behaviors in children (MINISTOP 1.0) for multi-ethnic communities, we explored: (1) needs and concerns among Somali-, Arabic-, and Swedish-speaking parents in terms of supporting healthy diet and activity behaviors in their children; (2) nurses perceptions of parental needs and concerns in relation to diet and physical activity behaviors; and (3) how the features and content of the MINISTOP 1.0 app could be refined to better support health behaviors in children, among both parents and nurses. Focus groups with Somali-, Arabic-, and Swedish-speaking parents (n = 15), and individual interviews with nurses (n = 15) were conducted. Parents expressed several challenges in supporting childrens health behaviors, the need for a tailored app, and alternative ways of accessing the content (audio/video). Nurses emphasized the need of supporting parents early, and the value of a shared platform in different languages, to facilitate communication. This study contributes valuable insights about parental needs and relevant adaptations to a parental support app, such as addition of audio/video files for increased accessibility. This adapted app version-MINISTOP 2.0, can be useful for childhood obesity prevention in multi-ethnic communities.
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| 2. |
- Alexandrou, Christina, 1981-
(författare)
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MINISTOP 2.0 : a smartphone app integrated in primary child health care to promote healthy diet and physical activity behaviors and prevent obesity in preschool-aged children
- 2023
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- BackgroundChildhood overweight and obesity is currently estimated to affect 39 million children under the age of five worldwide. After the COVID-19 pandemic, further increases have been observed in several countries including Sweden, where an increased incidence was observed in 3- and 4-year-old children, especially in disadvantaged areas. This development emphasizes the urgent need for population-based childhood obesity prevention interventions, and Swedish primary child health care provides an ideal setting for primary preventive efforts during the preschool years. However, thus far, previous child health care-based obesity prevention interventions have demonstrated limited effectiveness. As previous interventions also have been face-to-face delivered and thus resource-demanding; new, and scalable ways of delivering interventions also need to be evaluated. Mobile health or mHealth refers to the use of mobile devices for medical and public health practice and provides opportunity for development and dissemination of digital interventions for various purposes and populations at scale. This thesis reports the results of the MINISTOP 2.0 project, which covers the development and evaluation of the MINISTOP 2.0 digital intervention, from adaptation and translation of the intervention to Somali, Arabic and English (Paper I), to evaluation of real-world effectiveness within the Swedish primary child health care setting (Paper II) followed by exploration of user experiences and implementation aspects (Paper III) and a cost-consequence analysis of the intervention costs (Paper IV). AimThe overall aim of this thesis was to evaluate whether a 6-month parent-oriented mHealth intervention (MINISTOP 2.0 app), embedded in the routine services of Swedish primary child health care, can be used to improve diet and physical activity behaviors, and decrease the prevalence of over-weight and obesity in 2.5-to-3-year-old children. MethodsThe MINISTOP 2.0 project utilized a hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation study design to enable simultaneous evaluation and exploration of intervention effectiveness, user experiences and implementation aspects. Paper I: A qualitative exploration of user requirements in an app-based parental support intervention was conducted through three focus group interviews with Somali- (n = 5), Arabic- (n = 4), and Swedish-speaking parents (n = 6), and individual interviews with child health care nurses (n = 15). Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Paper II: A two-arm parallel randomized controlled trial was conducted at 19 child health care centers located in six Swedish regions. Participating parents (n = 552) were invited during their routine visit at 2.5/3-years at their primary child health care center. All baseline and follow-up procedures were conducted by the nurses. Parents that were randomized to the control group received standard care, while the intervention group received access to the MINISTOP 2.0 app for six months, alongside standard care. Prior to randomization, nurses measured the child’s height and weight for assessment of BMI, and parents answered a questionnaire about their child’s intake of fruit and vegetables, sweet and savory treats, and sweet drinks; time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and screen time; and parental self-efficacy (PSE) for promoting healthy diet, physical activity, and screen time behaviors. These baseline procedures were then repeated at a 6-month follow-up visit to the child health care center. Paper III: A qualitative exploration of user experiences, acceptability, and feasibility of the MINISTOP 2.0 intervention was conducted through individual interviews with parents (n = 24) with diverse backgrounds, and with child health care nurses (n = 15). Data was analyzed using content analysis. Paper IV: Data on all costs related to the MINISTOP 2.0 intervention, including costs for app and interface upkeep as well as salary costs for introduction and dissemination of the app by nurses, was collected retrospectively. A cost-consequence analysis was then performed to estimate the costs of the intervention. ResultsPaper I: Parents expressed several challenges related to promoting healthy eating behaviors, such as worrying about their child not eating enough, and difficulties balancing different food cultures. There were also requests for the app content to be accessible through alternative modes of delivery (e.g., audio/video) for parents with low literacy. Nurses underlined the importance of supporting parents early with health behavior interventions, and the value of a shared digital platform, available in several languages, to facilitate communication with parents. Paper II: Seventy-nine percent of the participating parents (n = 552) were mothers and 62% had a university degree. Among the children, 24% had two foreign-born parents. Children in the intervention group had lower in-takes of sweet and savory treats (-6.97 g/day; p = 0.001), sweet drinks (-31.52 g/day; p < 0.001), and screen time (-7.00 min/day; p = 0.012) com-pared to the control group at follow-up. Parents in the intervention group also reported higher total PSE (0.91; p = 0.006), PSE for promoting healthy diet behaviors (0.34; p = 0.008) and PSE for promoting healthy physical activity behaviors (0.31; p = 0.009) compared to the control group. For children’s MVPA or BMI z-score, no statistically significant effect was observed between groups. Finally, parents also reported high satisfaction with the app, and 54% reported using the app once a week or more. Paper III: Findings indicated that the app was well accepted and appreciated, as it increased knowledge and awareness around current health behaviors. Furthermore, evidence-based information available in one place and from a trusted source, was highly valued, especially when living in a country with a different culture than your own. The app was also acknowledged as a feasible support tool and a suitable complement to the standard care offered during visits. Finally, due to the accessibility in different languages and the possibility of disseminating the app at scale, both nurses and parents described the app as an appropriate tool for reaching larger populations of parents as well as parents in need of additional support. Paper IV: The total cost for the MINISTOP 2.0 intervention was 437 439 SEK based on the 277 families in the intervention group. The cost for child health care nurses introducing and registering families for the app represented only 9% of the total cost per family, which was considerably lower in comparison to other similar childhood obesity prevention interventions. Also, notably, for upscaling, sharing running costs for the user interface for larger populations of children, would result in much lower total costs per family. ConclusionsOverall, qualitative findings for adapting the intervention highlighted the need for early access to information, as well as the importance of adapting interventions to also be accessible for parents with migrant background and parents with lower literacy. When disseminated through primary child health care, the MINISTOP 2.0 intervention resulted in statistically significant reduced intakes of sweet and savory treats, sweet drinks, and screen time in children (primary outcomes) as well as increased PSE for promoting healthy diet and activity behaviors (secondary outcome). The app was well accepted and perceived as a feasible support tool for parents. Furthermore, accessibility in different languages was also appreciated. Finally, the relatively low salary costs in comparison to face-to-face interventions suggest that the MINISTOP 2.0 app and caregiver interface may be an affordable preventive effort for early promotion of healthy lifestyle behaviors in children when scaled up on a population level. Altogether, the results from the papers in this thesis support the large-scale implementation of the MINISTOP 2.0 app within the Swedish primary child health care setting for promotion of healthy lifestyle behaviours in 2.5-to-3-year-old children.
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| 3. |
- Alexandrou, Christina, et al.
(författare)
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User experiences of an app-based mHealth intervention (MINISTOP 2.0) integrated in Swedish primary child healthcare among Swedish-, Somali- and Arabic-speaking parents and child healthcare nurses: A qualitative study
- 2023
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Ingår i: Digital Health. - : Sage Publications. - 2055-2076. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Preventive and scalable interventions, accessible to all, to counteract childhood obesity are urgently needed. We have recently developed a novel, digital parental intervention (MINISTOP 2.0 app) available in Swedish, Somali, Arabic and English. We have previously reported its positive effects on children's health behaviors and on parental self-efficacy. However, before introducing the app at scale in primary child healthcare, implementation aspects also need to be explored.Aim: This study aims to explore and describe user experiences as well as acceptability and feasibility of the MINISTOP 2.0 app-based intervention in a diverse group of parents (end-users) and Swedish child healthcare nurses (implementers).Methods: Individual interviews were conducted with Swedish- (n = 9), Somali- (n = 9), Arabic- (n = 5) and English-speaking (n = 1) parents as well as Swedish primary child healthcare nurses (n = 15). Data was analyzed using content analysis with an inductive latent approach.Results: Parents described how the app facilitated behavior change through increased awareness regarding current diet and physical activity behaviors. Furthermore, the evidence-based app content further facilitated trust and behavior change. Both parents and nurses acknowledged the app's preventive potential and the potential for reaching parents with diverse backgrounds or in need of extra support.Conclusion: The MINISTOP 2.0 app was perceived as a useful tool for health promotion both by parents and healthcare professionals, especially since it was adapted to several languages. These findings coupled with the previously shown beneficial effects on health behaviors support the large-scale implementation of the app in primary child healthcare.
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| 4. |
- Bendtsen, Marcus, 1982-, et al.
(författare)
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mHealth intervention for multiple lifestyle behaviour change among high school students in Sweden (LIFE4YOUth) : Protocol for a randomised controlled trial
- 2021
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Ingår i: Public Health Nursing. - : BMC. - 0737-1209 .- 1525-1446 .- 1471-2458. ; 21:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundNational surveys in Sweden demonstrate that the majority of young people do not engage in health promoting behaviours at levels recommended by the Public Health Agency of Sweden. The objective of this study is to estimate the effectiveness of a novel mHealth intervention named LIFE4YOUth, which targets multiple lifestyle behaviours (alcohol, diet, physical activity, and smoking) among high school students in Sweden.MethodsA 2-arm parallel groups single blind randomised controlled trial (1:1) will be employed to estimate the effectiveness of the novel mHealth intervention. Students will be recruited at high schools throughout Sweden, and will be included if they fulfil one of six criteria relating to unhealthy behaviours with respect to alcohol, diet, physical activity and smoking. Eligible participants will be randomised to either receive the novel intervention immediately, or to be placed on a waiting list for 4 months. The intervention consists of a combination of recurring screening, text messages, and an interactive platform which is adaptable to individual preferences. Outcome measures with respect to alcohol, diet, physical activity and smoking will be assessed through questionnaires at 2 and 4 months post randomisation.DiscussionThe findings of this trial could be generalised to a diverse high-school student population as our recruitment encompass a large proportion of schools throughout Sweden with various educational profiles. Furthermore, if effective, the mHealth intervention has good potential to be able to be scaled up and disseminated at high schools nationally.Trial registrationRegistered prospectively on 2020-05-20 in ISRCTN (ISRCTN34468623).
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| 5. |
- Bendtsen, Marcus, 1982-, et al.
(författare)
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The Mobile Health Multiple Lifestyle Behavior Interventions Across the Lifespan (MoBILE) Research Program : Protocol for Development, Evaluation, and Implementation
- 2020
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Ingår i: JMIR Research Protocols. - Toronto, Canada : JMIR Publications Inc. - 1929-0748. ; 9:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Clustering of multiple lifestyle risk behaviors has been associated with a greater risk of noncommunicable diseases and mortality than one lifestyle risk behavior or no lifestyle risk behaviors. The National Board of Health and Welfare in Sweden reported in 2018 that it is important to provide additional support to individuals with multiple lifestyle risk behaviors, as risks from these behaviors are multiplicative rather than additive. However, the same report emphasized that there is a lack of knowledge regarding interventions that support changes to unhealthy lifestyle behaviors.Objective: The MoBILE (Mobile health Multiple lifestyle Behavior Interventions across the LifEspan) research program has brought together two Swedish research groups supported by international collaborators. Through this collaboration, we aim to design and evaluate a number of novel and tailored mobile health (mHealth) multiple lifestyle behavior interventions across the life span of different health care populations. In addition, the MoBILE research program will extend ongoing research to include mHealth interventions for migrant pregnant women and children.Methods: Each project within the MoBILE program will focus on a specific group: pregnant women, preschool children, high school and university students, and adults in primary and clinical care. All the projects will follow the same 4 phases: requirements, development, evaluation, and implementation. During the requirements phase, implementers and end users will aid the design of content and functionality of the interventions. In the development phase, findings from the first phase will be synthesized with expert domain knowledge and theoretical constructs to create interventions tailored to the target groups. The third phase, evaluation, will comprise randomized controlled trials conducted to estimate the effects of the interventions on multiple lifestyle risk behaviors (eg, alcohol, nutrition, physical activity, and smoking). The final phase will investigate how the interventions, if found effective, can be disseminated into different health care contexts.Results: The research program commenced in 2019, and the first results will be available in 2020. Projects involving pregnant women, preschool children, and high school and university students will be completed in the first 3 years, with the remaining projects being planned for the program’s final 3 years.Conclusions:The development of evidence-based digital tools is complex, as they should be guided by theoretical frameworks, and requires large interdisciplinary teams with competence in technology, behavioral science, and lifestyle-specific areas. Individual researchers or smaller research groups developing their own tools is not the way forward, as it means reinventing the wheel over and over again. The MoBILE research program therefore aims to join forces and learn from the past 10 years of mHealth research to maximize scientific outcomes, as well as the use of financial resources to expand the growing body of evidence for mHealth lifestyle behavior interventions.
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| 6. |
- Fagerström, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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The importance of trusting conditions for organizations readiness to implement mHealth to support healthy lifestyle behaviors: An interview study within Swedish child and school healthcare
- 2023
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Ingår i: Digital Health. - : SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD. - 2055-2076. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ObjectiveTo explore perceptions among nurses, managers, and policymakers regarding organizational readiness to implement mHealth for the promotion of healthy lifestyle behaviors in child and school healthcare. MethodsIndividual semi-structured interviews with nurses (n = 10), managers (n = 10), and policymakers (n = 8) within child and school healthcare in Sweden. Inductive content analysis was used for data analysis. ResultsData showed that various trust-building aspects in health care organizations may contribute to readiness to implement mHealth. Several aspects were perceived to contribute trusting conditions: (a) how health-related data could be stored and managed; (b) how mHealth aligned with current organizational ways of working; (c) how implementation of mHealth was governed; and (d) camaraderie within a healthcare team to facilitate use of mHealth in practice. Poor capability to manage health-related data, as well as lack of governance of mHealth implementation were described as dealbreakers for readiness to implement mHealth in healthcare organizations. ConclusionsHealthcare professionals and policymakers perceived that trusting conditions for mHealth implementation within organizations were central for readiness. Specifically, governance of mHealth implementation and the ability to manage health-data produced by mHealth were perceived critical for readiness.
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| 7. |
- Henriksson, Hanna, et al.
(författare)
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MINISTOP 2.0: a smartphone app integrated in primary child health care to promote healthy diet and physical activity behaviours and prevent obesity in preschool-aged children: protocol for a hybrid design effectiveness-implementation study
- 2020
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Ingår i: BMC Public Health. - : BMC. - 1471-2458. ; 20:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundChildhood obesity is still a major health problem in many countries, including Sweden. Childhood obesity and obesity-related behaviours in childhood, such as low physical activity and unhealthy eating habits, tend to track into adulthood, which highlights the need for early prevention. Our aims are to evaluate whether a parent-oriented mobile health app (the MINISTOP 2.0 app) integrated into primary child health care can improve diet and physical activity behaviours and reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity in preschool-aged children as well as to evaluate the implementation among child health care nurses and parents.MethodsThis trial uses a hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation design. Families (n=500) who attend a routine visit to one of 15-20 primary child health care centres throughout Sweden, when their child is 2.5years, are offered participation in a randomised controlled trial (effectiveness evaluation). After acceptance, families will be randomised (1:1) to control or intervention groups. The intervention group receives a 6-month parent-oriented smartphone intervention aimed at improving the dietary and activity behaviours of their child (the MINISTOP 2.0 app) and the control group receives routine child health care. Dietary habits, physical activity and screen time (primary outcomes), body weight and height in children, and parental self-efficacy (secondary outcomes) are measured at baseline and at 6months post randomisation. Implementation outcomes (i.e. perceived acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility) of the intervention will be assessed among primary child health care nurses and parents in the trial through questionnaires and qualitative interviews.DiscussionThis trial will evaluate whether the MINISTOP 2.0 app can be used in primary child health care to improve diet and physical activity behaviours, and prevent overweight and obesity, in preschool-aged children. If effectiveness is proven, and the MINISTOP 2.0 app is considered acceptable, appropriate and feasible, it can be implemented nationally as part of the preventive strategies to combat childhood obesity provided by routine child health care.Trial registrationThe trial was registered at the Clinicaltrials.gov register platform (ID NCT04147039) on 31 October 2019.
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| 8. |
- Müssener, Ulrika, et al.
(författare)
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Adolescents' and professionals' experiences of metabolic and bariatric surgery and requirements for preoperative and postoperative support through mHealth: a qualitative study
- 2022
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Ingår i: Bmj Open. - : BMJ. - 2044-6055. ; 12:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives This study aimed to explore adolescents' and professionals' incentives and experiences of metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) and to explore perceived needs and requirements for preoperative and postoperative support through an mHealth intervention to improve long-term healthy lifestyle behaviour and health outcomes. Design An inductive qualitative study using in-depth semistructured interviews. Setting Three hospital-based specialist paediatric obesity treatment units in Sweden. Participants A total of 18 participants (14 women and 4 men). Nine adolescents aged between 17 and 22 years who had undergone or were about to undergo surgery, and nine professionals, including researchers and clinicians working in various professional roles such as physiotherapist, dietician, nurse, psychologist, physician and pedagogue. Results Both informant groups of participants highlighted that undergoing MBS is a complex process, and hence actions are required on several levels to optimise the positive, long-term effects of surgery. Efficient communication between the healthcare professionals and adolescents was considered crucial and a key success factor. Informants acknowledged the need for additional support that relates to psychosocial well-being and mental health in order to understand, form and accept new behaviours and identity. An mHealth intervention should be seen as complementary to physical appointments, and informants acknowledged that an app could be a way of improving access to healthcare, and a useful tool to allow for individually tailored and easily available support. Conclusions The findings address the importance of a personal encounter and a need for additional support that relates to psychosocial well-being, mental health and healthy lifestyle behaviour. These findings should be incorporated into future research concerning mHealth interventions in MBS during adolescence.
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| 9. |
- Müssener, Ulrika, et al.
(författare)
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Development of an Intervention Targeting Multiple Health Behaviors Among High School Students: Participatory Design Study Using Heuristic Evaluation and Usability Testing
- 2020
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Ingår i: JMIR mhealth and uhealth. - : JMIR PUBLICATIONS, INC. - 2291-5222. ; 8:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Mobile electronic platforms provide exciting possibilities for health behavior promotion. For instance, they can promote smoking cessation, moderate alcohol consumption, healthy eating, and physical activity. Young adults in Sweden are proficient in the use of technology, having been exposed to computers, smartphones, and the internet from an early age. However, with the high availability of mobile health (mHealth) interventions of varying quality, it is critical to optimize the usability of mHealth interventions to ensure long-term use of these health promotion interventions. Objective: This study aims to investigate the usability of an mHealth intervention (LIFE4YOUth) targeting health behaviors among high school students through heuristic evaluation and usability testing. Methods: A preliminary version of the LIFE4YOUth mHealth intervention, which was aimed at promoting healthy eating, physical activity, smoking cessation, and nonrisky drinking among high school students, was developed in early 2019. We completed a total of 15 heuristic evaluations and 5 usability tests to evaluate the usability of the mHealth intervention prototype to improve its functioning, content, and design. Results: Heuristic evaluation from a total of 15 experts (10 employees and 5 university students, both women and men, aged 18-25 years) revealed that the major usability problems and the worst ratings, a total of 17 problems termed usability catastrophes, concerned shortcomings in displaying easy-to-understand information to the users or technical errors. The results of the usability testing including 5 high school students (both girls and boys, aged 15-18 years) showed that the design, quality, and quantity of content in the intervention may impact the users level of engagement. Poor functionality was considered a major barrier to usability. Of the 5 participants, one rated the LIFE4YOUth intervention as poor, 2 rated as average, and 2 assessed it as good, according to the System Usability Scale. Conclusions: High school students have high expectations of digital products. If an mHealth intervention does not offer optimal functions, they may cease to use it. Optimizing the usability of mHealth interventions is a critical step in the development process. Heuristic evaluation and usability testing in this study provided valuable knowledge about the prototype from a users perspective. The findings may lead to the development of similar interventions targeting the high school population.
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| 10. |
- Müssener, Ulrika, 1974-, et al.
(författare)
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Using Mobile Devices to Deliver Lifestyle Interventions Targeting At-Risk High School Students : Protocol for a Participatory Design Study
- 2020
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Ingår i: JMIR Research Protocols. - Toronto, Canada : J M I R Publications, Inc.. - 1929-0748. ; 1:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors such as insufficient physical activity, unhealthy diet, smoking, and harmful use of alcohol tend to cluster (ie, individuals may be at risk from more than one lifestyle behavior that can be established in early childhood and adolescence and track into adulthood). Previous research has underlined the potential of lifestyle interventions delivered via mobile phones. However, there is a need for deepened knowledge on how to design mobile health (mHealth) interventions taking end user views into consideration in order to optimize the overall usability of such interventions. Adolescents are early adopters of technology and frequent users of mobile phones, yet research on interventions that use mobile devices to deliver multiple lifestyle behavior changes targeting at-risk high school students is lacking.Objective: This protocol describes a participatory design study with the aim of developing an mHealth lifestyle behavior intervention to promote healthy lifestyles among high school students.Methods: Through an iterative process using participatory design, user requirements are investigated in terms of technical features and content. The procedures around the design and development of the intervention, including heuristic evaluations, focus group interviews, and usability tests, are described.Results: Recruitment started in May 2019. Data collection, analysis, and scientific reporting from heuristic evaluations and usability tests are expected to be completed in November 2019. Focus group interviews were being undertaken with high school students from October through December, and full results are expected to be published in Spring 2020. A planned clinical trial will commence in Summer 2020. The study was funded by a grant from the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life, and Welfare.Conclusions: The study is expected to add knowledge on how to design an mHealth intervention taking end users’ views into consideration in order to develop a novel, evidence-based, low-cost, and scalable intervention that high school students want to use in order to achieve a healthier lifestyle.
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