Time to Listen: a Mixed-method Study Examining Community-based Views of Mobile Technology for Interventions to Promote Physical Activity

Overview

Journal BMJ Health Care Inform

Specialties Medical Informatics
Public Health

Date 2020 Aug 25

PMID 32830106

Citations 7

Authors

Sophie E Claudel

Joniqua N Ceasar

Marcus R Andrews

Sherine El-Toukhy

Nicole Farmer

Kimberly R Middleton

Melanie Sabado-Liwag

Valerie M Mitchell

Kosuke Tamura

Alyssa T Brooks

Gwenyth R Wallen

Tiffany M Powell-Wiley

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: A mixed-method, co-design approach to studying the adoption of mobile health (mHealth) technology among African-American (AA) women has not been fully explored. Qualitative data may contextualise existing knowledge surrounding perceptions of mHealth among AA women as part of formative work for designing a physical activity application (app).

Methods: A convenience sample of 16 AA women completed an informatics survey prior to participating in focus groups exploring their use of mobile technology and health apps. Survey responses provided frequency data, while iterative transcript analysis of focus groups identified themes.

Results: The majority of participants (mean age=62.1 years, SD=6.6) felt comfortable using a tablet/smartphone (75.0%). Most (68.8%) reported using health-related apps, primarily focused on physical activity and nutrition. Focus groups revealed four overarching concepts, including (1) user attachment, (2) technology adoption, (3) potential facilitators and (4) potential barriers. Important features which may serve as facilitators or barriers to future adoption of a mobile app for an mHealth intervention include individual app tailoring and software concerns, respectively.

Discussion: Thematic analysis revealed high user attachment to smartphones and described participants' process for adopting new mHealth technology.

Conclusion: Early engagement of target end users as a part of a broader co-design and community-based participatory research process for developing mHealth technologies may be useful for sustained adoption of these tools in future mHealth behavioural interventions.

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