Dataset Information

User Participation and Engagement With the See Me Smoke-Free mHealth App: Prospective Feasibility Trial.

ABSTRACT: The See Me Smoke-Free (SMSF) mobile health (mHealth) app was developed to help women quit smoking by targeting concerns about body weight, body image, and self-efficacy through cognitive behavioral techniques and guided imagery audio files addressing smoking, diet, and physical activity. A feasibility trial found associations between SMSF usage and positive treatment outcomes. This paper reports a detailed exploration of program use among eligible individuals consenting to study participation and completing the baseline survey (participants) and ineligible or nonconsenting app installers (nonparticipants), as well as the relationship between program use and treatment outcomes.The aim of this study was to determine whether (1) participants were more likely to set quit dates, be current smokers, and report higher levels of smoking at baseline than nonparticipants; (2) participants opened the app and listened to audio files more frequently than nonparticipants; and (3) participants with more app usage had a higher likelihood of self-reported smoking abstinence at follow up.The SMSF feasibility trial was a single arm, within-subjects, prospective cohort study with assessments at baseline and 30 and 90 days post enrollment. The SMSF app was deployed on the Google Play Store for download, and basic profile characteristics were obtained for all app installers. Additional variables were assessed for study participants. Participants were prompted to use the app daily during study participation. Crude differences in baseline characteristics between trial participants and nonparticipants were evaluated using t tests (continuous variables) and Fisher exact tests (categorical variables). Exact Poisson tests were used to assess group-level differences in mean usage rates over the full study period using aggregate Google Analytics data on participation and usage. Negative binomial regression models were used to estimate associations of app usage with participant baseline characteristics after adjustment for putative confounders. Associations between app usage and self-reported smoking abstinence were assessed using separate logistic regression models for each outcome measure.Participants (n=151) were more likely than nonparticipants (n=96) to report female gender (P<.02) and smoking in the 30 days before enrollment (P<.001). Participants and nonparticipants opened the app and updated quit dates at the same average rate (rate ratio [RR] 0.98; 95% CI 0.92-1.04; P=.43), but participants started audio files (RR 1.07; 95% CI 1.00-1.13; P<.04) and completed audio files (RR 1.11; 95% CI 1.03-1.18; P<.003) at significantly higher rates than nonparticipants. Higher app usage among participants was positively associated with some smoking cessation outcomes.This study suggests potential efficacy of the SMSF app, as increased usage was generally associated with higher self-reported smoking abstinence. A planned randomized controlled trial will assess the SMSF app's efficacy as an intervention tool to help women quit smoking.

SUBMITTER: Schmidt CA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5653904 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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User Participation and Engagement With the See Me Smoke-Free mHealth App: Prospective Feasibility Trial.

Schmidt Chris A CA Romine James K JK Bell Melanie L ML Armin Julie J Gordon Judith S JS

JMIR mHealth and uHealth 20171009 10

<h4>Background</h4>The See Me Smoke-Free (SMSF) mobile health (mHealth) app was developed to help women quit smoking by targeting concerns about body weight, body image, and self-efficacy through cognitive behavioral techniques and guided imagery audio files addressing smoking, diet, and physical activity. A feasibility trial found associations between SMSF usage and positive treatment outcomes. This paper reports a detailed exploration of program use among eligible individuals consenting to stu ...[more]

PMID: 28993302

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Project description:BackgroundChildhood obesity is an ongoing problem in developed countries that needs targeted prevention in the youngest age groups. Children in socioeconomically disadvantaged families are most at risk. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions offer a potential route to target these families because of its relatively low cost and high reach. The Growing healthy program was developed to provide evidence-based information on infant feeding from birth to 9 months via app or website. Understanding user engagement with these media is vital to developing successful interventions. Engagement is a complex, multifactorial concept that needs to move beyond simple metrics.ObjectiveThe aim of our study was to describe the development of an engagement index (EI) to monitor participant interaction with the Growing healthy app. The index included a number of subindices and cut-points to categorize engagement.MethodsThe Growing program was a feasibility study in which 300 mother-infant dyads were provided with an app which included 3 push notifications that was sent each week. Growing healthy participants completed surveys at 3 time points: baseline (T1) (infant age ≤3 months), infant aged 6 months (T2), and infant aged 9 months (T3). In addition, app usage data were captured from the app. The EI was adapted from the Web Analytics Demystified visitor EI. Our EI included 5 subindices: (1) click depth, (2) loyalty, (3) interaction, (4) recency, and (5) feedback. The overall EI summarized the subindices from date of registration through to 39 weeks (9 months) from the infant's date of birth. Basic descriptive data analysis was performed on the metrics and components of the EI as well as the final EI score. Group comparisons used t tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, and Spearman correlation tests as appropriate. Consideration of independent variables associated with the EI score were modeled using linear regression models.ResultsThe overall EI mean score was 30.0% (SD 11.5%) with a range of 1.8% - 57.6%. The cut-points used for high engagement were scores greater than 37.1% and for poor engagement were scores less than 21.1%. Significant explanatory variables of the EI score included: parity (P=.005), system type including "app only" users or "both" app and email users (P<.001), recruitment method (P=.02), and baby age at recruitment (P=.005).ConclusionsThe EI provided a comprehensive understanding of participant behavior with the app over the 9-month period of the Growing healthy program. The use of the EI in this study demonstrates that rich and useful data can be collected and used to inform assessments of the strengths and weaknesses of the app and in turn inform future interventions.

Project description:BackgroundEvaluating engagement with an intervention is a key component of understanding its efficacy. With an increasing interest in developing behavioral interventions in the mobile health (mHealth) space, appropriate methods for evaluating engagement in this context are necessary. Data collected to evaluate mHealth interventions are often collected much more frequently than those for clinic-based interventions. Additionally, missing data on engagement is closely linked to level of engagement resulting in the potential for informative missingness. Thus, models that can accommodate intensively collected data and can account for informative missingness are required for unbiased inference when analyzing engagement with an mHealth intervention.ObjectiveThe objectives of this paper are to discuss the utility of the joint modeling approach in the analysis of longitudinal engagement data in mHealth research and to illustrate the application of this approach using data from an mHealth intervention designed to support illness management among people with schizophrenia.MethodsEngagement data from an evaluation of an mHealth intervention designed to support illness management among people with schizophrenia is analyzed. A joint model is applied to the longitudinal engagement outcome and time-to-dropout to allow unbiased inference on the engagement outcome. Results are compared to a naïve model that does not account for the relationship between dropout and engagement.ResultsThe joint model shows a strong relationship between engagement and reduced risk of dropout. Using the mHealth app 1 day more per week was associated with a 23% decreased risk of dropout (P<.001). The decline in engagement over time was steeper when the joint model was used in comparison with the naïve model.ConclusionsNaïve longitudinal models that do not account for informative missingness in mHealth data may produce biased results. Joint models provide a way to model intensively collected engagement outcomes while simultaneously accounting for the relationship between engagement and missing data in mHealth intervention research.

Project description:BackgroundSwallowing difficulties (ie, dysphagia) are common among older adults, with a 13% to 54% prevalence. Adequate interventions to improve the swallowing function of older adults would reduce morbidity and enhance health-related quality of life outcomes. Mobile health (mHealth) apps may help alleviate dysphagia symptoms by providing programs that maximize the intensity and frequency of training without requiring high costs or regular clinic visits.ObjectiveThe aim of this pilot study was to assess the usability of swallowing training apps by quantitatively and qualitatively evaluating older adults' self-reported data, taking into consideration their educational levels and exposure to mobile technology. We conducted surveys and brief interviews while the participants used a swallowing intervention app we developed. We subsequently identified and resolved individual-specific usability issues to improve future implementation of the app protocol for older persons with swallowing difficulties.MethodsA total of 11 participants (10 women, 91%; mean age 75.7 years, SD 3.93) from two district-run senior welfare centers took part in this study. The participants were divided into a high-potential group and a low-potential group based on their total number of years of education and smart device usage. To investigate the usability of the app twice (ie, in the second week of the intervention and the postintervention stage), we used mixed methods consisting of both quantitative approaches, namely the System Usability Scale (SUS) and modified Computer Self-Efficacy Scale (mCSES) surveys, and qualitative approaches (ie, interviews).ResultsThe quantitative results of the SUS and mCSES surveys revealed that the high-potential group was more inclined to adopt and learn new technology than the low-potential group. Specifically, within the high-potential group, a Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicated that the postintervention mCSES scores (median 65.50) were significantly higher than those in the second week of intervention (median 54.00; z=-2.023, P=.04). Additionally, the usability scores in the low-potential group were within the "marginal acceptability" range even after completion of an 8-week intervention program. Qualitative analyses via semi-structured interviews yielded promising outcomes regarding app acceptability, training program utilization, emotional responses, and learning experience.ConclusionsTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this usability and feasibility study is the first report of a swallowing training app designed to improve the swallowing function of older adults. Future research should consider several issues, such as user characteristics, pretraining education, and the intensity and innate characteristics of the intervention program.

Project description:BackgroundReducing the burden of depression is a global health concern. Self-guided mobile health (mHealth) apps are one approach to address this problem. However, there is little research on self-guided mHealth apps in a global sample or on how they are used in the real world. These gaps in our knowledge must be addressed to bring the promise of mHealth apps for reducing the global burden of depression closer to reality.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to examine the naturalistic user behavior of MoodTools, a publicly available, free-to-use, self-guided mHealth app designed to improve symptoms of depression, in a global community sample.MethodsMobile analytics data were collected from all unique downloads of the Android version of MoodTools between March 1, 2016, and February 28, 2018. Due to the deidentification and data aggregation process, no demographic or personal identifying information was tied to individual user data. All information was stored in aggregated, anonymized data files on Google Analytics' storage database. Google's software development kit was used to securely capture data about the number of downloads, location of downloads, number of app sessions, frequency and duration of app sessions, time between app sessions, and user retention, allowing for examination of which app's tools were viewed and for how long, including Information (psychoeducation), Test (self-monitoring using the Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9]), Thought Diary (targeting negative cognitions), Activities (behavioral activation), Videos (curated from YouTube), and Safety Plan (safety plan development and links to quickly access crisis management resources).ResultsMoodTools was used by 158,930 people from 198 countries, including countries where English was not the primary language and in low- and middle-income countries. After the initial download, 51.14% (n=81,277) of users returned to the app after the initial download, and retention rates decreased with each subsequent app session. The typical person used the app for 3 sessions for a total of 12 minutes over 90 days. The most frequently visited tools were Test and Thought Diary (n=393,549, 24.32%). On average, users completed and reviewed the results of the PHQ-9 for 49 seconds and 53 seconds, respectively, and spent 3 minutes and 5 seconds on Thought Diary.ConclusionsSelf-guided mHealth apps could be one approach (among the many needed) to reduce the burden of depression. Observational data collected in this study show a global interest in MoodTools, including in low- and middle-income countries and countries where English is not the primary language. Future research is needed to determine whether people who use self-guided apps experience improvement in depressive symptoms, and if so, what "dosage" provides a meaningful benefit.

Project description:BackgroundDespite the ubiquity of smartphones, there is little guidance for how to design mobile health apps to increase use. Specifically, knowing what features users expect, grab their attention, encourage use (via predicted use or through positive app evaluations), and signal beneficial action possibilities can guide and focus app development efforts.ObjectiveWe investigated what features users expect and how the design (prototypicality) impacts app adoption.MethodsIn a web-based survey, we elicited expectations, including presence and placement, for 12 app features. Thereafter, participants (n=462) viewed 2 health apps (high prototypicality similar to top downloaded apps vs low prototypicality similar to research interventions) and reported willingness to download, attention, and predicted use of app features. Participants rated both apps (high and low) for aesthetics, ease of use, usefulness, perceived affordances, and intentions to use.ResultsMost participants (425/462, 92%) expected features for navigation or personal settings (eg, menu) in specific regions (eg, top corners). Features with summary graphs or statics were also expected by many (395-396 of 462, 86%), with a center placement expectation. A feature to "share with friends" was least expected among participants (203/462, 44%). Features fell into 4 unique categories based on attention and predicted use, including essential features with high (>50% or >231 of 462) predicted use and attention (eg, calorie trackers), flashy features with high attention but lower predicted use (eg, links to specific diets), functional features with modest attention and low use (eg, settings), and mundane features with low attention and use (eg, discover tabs). When given a choice, 347 of 462 (75%) participants would download the high-prototypicality app. High prototypicality apps (vs low) led to greater aesthetics, ease of use, usefulness, and intentions, (for all, P<.001). Participants thought that high prototypicality apps had more perceived affordances.ConclusionsIntervention designs that fail to meet a threshold of mHealth expectations will be dismissed as less usable or beneficial. Individuals who download health apps have shared expectations for features that should be there, as well as where these features should appear. Meeting these expectations can improve app evaluations and encourage use. Our typology should guide presence and placement of expected app features to signal value and increase use to impact preventive health behaviors. Features that will likely be used and are attention-worthy-essential, flashy, and functional-should be prioritized during app development.

Project description:BackgroundPerinatal depression affects a significant number of women during pregnancy and after birth, and early identification is imperative for timely interventions and improved prognosis. Mobile apps offer the potential to overcome barriers to health care provision and facilitate clinical research. However, little is known about users' perceptions and acceptability of these apps, particularly digital phenotyping and ecological momentary assessment apps, a relatively novel category of apps and approach to data collection. Understanding user's concerns and the challenges they experience using the app will facilitate adoption and continued engagement.ObjectiveThis qualitative study explores the experiences and attitudes of users of the Mom2B mobile health (mHealth) research app (Uppsala University) during the perinatal period. In particular, we aimed to determine the acceptability of the app and any concerns about providing data through a mobile app.MethodsSemistructured focus group interviews were conducted digitally in Swedish with 13 groups and a total of 41 participants. Participants had been active users of the Mom2B app for at least 6 weeks and included pregnant and postpartum women, both with and without depression symptomatology apparent in their last screening test. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, translated to English, and evaluated using inductive thematic analysis.ResultsFour themes were elicited: acceptability of sharing data, motivators and incentives, barriers to task completion, and user experience. Participants also gave suggestions for the improvement of features and user experience.ConclusionsThe study findings suggest that app-based digital phenotyping is a feasible and acceptable method of conducting research and health care delivery among perinatal women. The Mom2B app was perceived as an efficient and practical tool that facilitates engagement in research as well as allows users to monitor their well-being and receive general and personalized information related to the perinatal period. However, this study also highlights the importance of trustworthiness, accessibility, and prompt technical issue resolution in the development of future research apps in cooperation with end users. The study contributes to the growing body of literature on the usability and acceptability of mobile apps for research and ecological momentary assessment and underscores the need for continued research in this area.

Dataset Information

User Participation and Engagement With the See Me Smoke-Free mHealth App: Prospective Feasibility Trial.

Publications

User Participation and Engagement With the See Me Smoke-Free mHealth App: Prospective Feasibility Trial.

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