SEARCHSYSTEMATIC_REVIEWpediatrics, public health

systematic_review·pediatrics, public health, epidemiology, systematic review, research methods·PMC10028523

Design Features Associated With Engagement in Mobile Health Physical Activity Interventions Among Youth: Systematic Review of Qualitative and Quantitative Studies

JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 6 authors, 1 centre

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TL;DR

This systematic review of 21 qualitative and quantitative studies found that clear interfaces, fair reward systems, social interaction, and customizable content were positively associated with engagement in mHealth physical activity interventions among youth aged 4 to 18 years, while sounds, competition, notifications, virtual maps, and manual-input self-monitoring were negatively associated with engagement.

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Positively associated design features included a clear interface, rewards, multiplayer game mode, social interaction, varied challenges with personalized difficulty, self-monitoring, and customization options such as self-set goals and personalized feedback. Technical functionality was identified as a prerequisite for engagement. Only 33% (7/21) of studies demonstrated a clear translation from a specific behavior change technique to a design feature. Research on youth from low socioeconomic position families was very limited.

STUDY TYPE

systematic_review

SPECIALTY

pediatrics

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AI pipeline

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ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10028523

Design Features Associated With Engagement in Mobile Health Physical Activity Interventions Among Youth: Systematic Review of Qualitative and Quantitative Studies

JMIR mHealth and uHealth

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ABSTRACT

Background Globally, 81% of youth do not meet the physical activity (PA) guidelines. Youth of families with a low socioeconomic position are less likely to meet the recommended PA guidelines. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions are preferred by youth over traditional in-person approaches and are in line with their media preferences. Despite the promise of mHealth interventions in promoting PA, a common challenge is to engage users in the long term or effectively. Earlier reviews highlighted the association of different design features (eg, notifications and rewards) with engagement among adults. However, little is known about which design features are important for increasing engagement among youth. Objective To inform the design process of future mHealth tools, it is important to investigate the design features that can yield effective user engagement. This systematic review aimed to identify which design features are associated with engagement in mHealth PA interventions among youth who were aged between 4 and 18 years. Methods A systematic search was conducted in EBSCOhost (MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, and Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection) and Scopus. Qualitative and quantitative studies were included if they documented design features associated with engagement. Design features and related behavior change techniques and engagement measures were extracted. Study quality was assessed according to the Mixed Method Assessment Tool, and one-third of all screening and data extraction were double coded by a second reviewer. Results Studies (n=21) showed that various features were associated with engagement, such as a clear interface, rewards, multiplayer game mode, social interaction, variety of challenges with personalized difficulty level, self-monitoring, and variety of customization options among others, including self-set goals, personalized feedback, progress, and a narrative. In contrast, various features need to be carefully considered while designing mHealth PA interventions, such as sounds, competition, instructions, notifications, virtual maps, or self-monitoring, facilitated by manual input. In addition, technical functionality can be considered as a prerequisite for engagement. Research addressing youth from low socioeconomic position families is very limited with regard to engagement in mHealth apps. Conclusions Mismatches between different design features in terms of target group, study design, and content translation from behavior change techniques to design features are highlighted and set up in a design guideline and future research agenda. Trial Registration PROSPERO CRD42021254989; https://tinyurl.com/5n6ppz24

CITATION EXPORT

Ayla Schwarz, Laura H H Winkens, Emely de Vet et al.. Design Features Associated With Engagement in Mobile Health Physical Activity Interventions Among Youth: Systematic Review of Qualitative and Quantitative Studies. JMIR mHealth and uHealth. (2023). https://doi.org/10.2196/40898

AUTHORS

6 · 1 CENTRES

Ayla Schwarz, Laura H H Winkens, Emely de Vet, Dian Ossendrijver, Kirsten Bouwsema, Monique Simons

1 Department of Social Sciences, Chair Group Consumption & Healthy Lifestyles Wageningen University & Research Wageningen Netherlands

EDITOR / REVIEWER

Lorraine Buis, Jorinde Spook, Elizabeth Lyons