SEARCHCOHORTendocrinology, public health

cohort·endocrinology, public health, epidemiology, nutrition, clinical nutrition·PMC10368926

Engagement with a nationally-implemented digital behaviour change intervention: Usage patterns over the 9-month duration of the National Health Service Digital Diabetes Prevention Programme

Internet Interventions · 6 authors, 5 centres

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TL;DR

It found app usage declined over nine months, but engagement with specific features like goal setting was higher when linked to health coach support.

Full summary

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It quantified longitudinal patterns of engagement with app features such as self-monitoring, educational content, and social support. The central finding was a decline in median app usage from 32 minutes in month one to 0 minutes in month nine, with substantial variation between individuals and providers. Service users primarily used the apps for self-monitoring and educational content, while group discussion forums were rarely accessed. Engagement with specific features was higher when health coach support was linked to them. Limitations included the inability to determine reasons for disengagement, lack of demographic data to assess disparities, and no association with clinical outcomes like weight loss or HbA1c levels. The study provides a snapshot of real-world engagement with a nationally implemented digital health intervention.

STUDY TYPE

cohort

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endocrinology

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100% · A

ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10368926

Engagement with a nationally-implemented digital behaviour change intervention: Usage patterns over the 9-month duration of the National Health Service Digital Diabetes Prevention Programme

Internet Interventions

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ABSTRACT

Abstract Background Digital behaviour change interventions may offer a scalable way to promote weight loss by increasing physical activity and improving diet. However, user engagement is necessary for such benefits to be achieved. There is a dearth of research that assesses engagement with nationally implemented digital programmes offered in routine practice. The National Health Service Digital Diabetes Prevention Programme (NHS-DDPP) is a nine-month digital behaviour change intervention delivered by independent providers for adults in England who are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This study reports engagement with the NHS-DDPP for users enrolled onto the programme over the nine-month duration. Methods Anonymous usage data was obtained for a cohort of service users ( n = 1826) enrolled on the NHS-DDPP with three independent providers, between December 2020 and June 2021. Usage data were obtained for time spent in app, and frequency of use of NHS-DDPP intervention features in the apps including self-monitoring, goal setting, receiving educational content (via articles) and social support (via health coaches and group forums), to allow patterns of usage of these key features to be quantified across the nine-month intervention. Median usage was calculated within nine 30-day engagement periods to allow a longitudinal analysis of the dose of usage for each feature. Results App usage declined from a median of 32 min (IQR 191) in month one to 0 min (IQR 14) in month nine. Users self-monitored their behaviours (e.g., physical activity and diet) a median of 117 times (IQR 451) in the apps over the nine-month programme. The open group discussion forums were utilised less regularly (accessed a median of 0 times at all time-points). There was higher engagement with some intervention features (e.g., goal setting) when support from a health coach was linked to those features. Conclusions App usage decreased over the nine-month programme, although the rate at which the decrease occurred varied substantially between individuals and providers. Health coach support may promote engagement with specific intervention features. Future research should assess whether engagement with particular features of digital diabetes prevention programmes is associated with outcomes such as reduced bodyweight and HbA1c levels. Keywords: Diabetes prevention, Digital interventions, User engagement, Behaviour change

CITATION EXPORT

Rhiannon E Hawkes, Lisa M Miles, Ben Ainsworth et al.. Engagement with a nationally-implemented digital behaviour change intervention: Usage patterns over the 9-month duration of the National Health Service Digital Diabetes Prevention Programme. Internet Interventions. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2023.100647

AUTHORS

6 · 5 CENTRES

Rhiannon E Hawkes, Lisa M Miles, Ben Ainsworth, Jamie Ross, Rachel Meacock, David P French

aManchester Centre for Health Psychology, Division of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester, UK
bDepartment of Psychology, University of Bath, UK
cSchool of Psychology, University of Southampton, UK
dCentre for Primary Care, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, UK
eHealth Organisation, Policy and Economics (HOPE) Research Group, Centre for Primary Care and Health Services Research, University of Manchester, UK