Understanding Usage of a Hybrid Website and Smartphone App for Weight Management: A Mixed-Methods Study
Understanding Usage of a Hybrid Website and Smartphone App for Weight Management: A Mixed-Methods Study
复制标题
了解用于体重管理的混合网站和智能手机应用程序的使用情况： 混合方法研究
DOI：
10.2196/jmir.3579
复制
发表时间：
2014-01-01
影响因子：
7.4
通讯作者：
Yardley, Lucy
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Morrison, Leanne G.;Hargood, Charlie;Yardley, Lucy
背景：移动电话技术的进步为加强及时提供健康行为改变干预措施提供了巨大的潜力。基于智能手机的健康干预（应用程序）的发展是一个快速发展的研究领域，但很少有关于人们在日常生活中如何体验和使用这些应用程序的纵向研究，特别是在基于网络和应用程序的混合干预的背景下。目的：本研究采用深入的混合方法设计来检查以下方面的个体差异：(1)与基于网络的体重管理干预（POWeR）一起提供时，访问体重管理应用程序（POWeR Tracker）对自我报告的目标参与（即动机、自我效能、意识、努力、成就）的影响；(2)使用POWeR Tracker的情况和观点。方法：13名成年人获得POWeR并进行为期4周的监测。POWeR Tracker在2周交替进行（即第1周和第3周或第2周和第4周）。参与者的目标参与度通过每天的自我报告来衡量。混合效应模型被用来检查在POWeR Tracker可用和不可用的几周之间目标投入的变化，以及目标投入的变化程度是否在个体参与者之间有所不同。自动记录每个参与者的电量和电量跟踪器的使用情况。电话访谈采用归纳主题分析，进一步探讨参与者使用POWeR和POWeR Tracker的体验。结果：使用POWeR Tracker与参与者饮食意识（beta(1)= 0.31， P= 0.04）和身体活动目标（beta(1)= 0.28， P= 0.03）的显著提高有关。个体参与者的增长水平各不相同。使用数据显示，在POWeR Tracker可用（平均29分钟，SD 31分钟）和不可用（平均27分钟，SD 33分钟）的几周内，参与者使用POWeR网站的时间相似。POWeR Tracker主要是在方便的时刻或参与者认为干预内容最相关的时刻短时间（平均3分钟，平均2分钟）访问。定性数据表明，几乎所有的参与者都认为通过手机获取信息比使用电脑更方便。然而，参与者对基于web的组件和基于应用程序的组件以及POWeR Tracker提供的信息工具和跟踪工具的看法和使用情况各不相同。结论：本研究提供的证据表明，智能手机作为现有在线干预的补充，有可能提高个人与健康相关目标的参与度。移动访问信息的便利性似乎并没有阻止使用基于网络的干预措施，也没有增强应用程序访问对目标参与的影响。混合方法的设计可以探索基于应用程序的工具在日常使用中的个体差异。
Background: Advancements in mobile phone technology offer huge potential for enhancing the timely delivery of health behavior change interventions. The development of smartphone-based health interventions (apps) is a rapidly growing field of research, yet there have been few longitudinal examinations of how people experience and use these apps within their day-to-day routines, particularly within the context of a hybrid Web-and app-based intervention.Objective: This study used an in-depth mixed-methods design to examine individual variation in (1) impact on self-reported goal engagement (ie, motivation, self-efficacy, awareness, effort, achievement) of access to a weight management app (POWeR Tracker) when provided alongside a Web-based weight management intervention (POWeR) and (2) usage and views of POWeR Tracker.Methods: Thirteen adults were provided access to POWeR and were monitored over a 4-week period. Access to POWeR Tracker was provided in 2 alternate weeks (ie, weeks 1 and 3 or weeks 2 and 4). Participants' goal engagement was measured daily via self-report. Mixed effects models were used to examine change in goal engagement between the weeks when POWeR Tracker was and was not available and whether the extent of change in goal engagement varied between individual participants. Usage of POWeR and POWeR Tracker was automatically recorded for each participant. Telephone interviews were conducted and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis to further explore participants' experiences using POWeR and POWeR Tracker.Results: Access to POWeR Tracker was associated with a significant increase in participants' awareness of their eating (beta(1)= 0.31, P=.04) and physical activity goals (beta(1)= 0.28, P=.03). The level of increase varied between individual participants. Usage data showed that participants used the POWeR website for similar amounts of time during the weeks when POWeR Tracker was (mean 29 minutes, SD 31 minutes) and was not available (mean 27 minutes, SD 33 minutes). POWeR Tracker was mostly accessed in short bursts (mean 3 minutes, SD 2 minutes) during convenient moments or moments when participants deemed the intervention content most relevant. The qualitative data indicated that nearly all participants agreed that it was more convenient to access information on-the-go via their mobiles compared to a computer. However, participants varied in their views and usage of the Web-versus app-based components and the informational versus tracking tools provided by POWeR Tracker.Conclusions: This study provides evidence that smartphones have the potential to improve individuals' engagement with their health-related goals when used as a supplement to an existing online intervention. The perceived convenience of mobile access to information does not appear to deter use of Web-based interventions or strengthen the impact of app access on goal engagement. A mixed-methods design enabled exploration of individual variation in daily usage of the app-based tools.