scholarly journals Digital Inequalities in the Use of Self-Tracking Diet and Fitness Apps: Interview Study on the Influence of Social, Economic, and Cultural Factors (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faustine Régnier ◽  
Louis Chauvel
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Online Social Networks ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Use Of Self ◽  
Digital Devices ◽  
Diet And Physical Activity ◽  
Weight Watchers

BACKGROUND Digital devices are driving economic and social transformations, but assessing the uses, perceptions, and impact of these new technologies on diet and physical activity remains a major societal challenge. OBJECTIVE We aimed to determine under which social, economic, and cultural conditions individuals in France were more likely to be actively invested in the use of self-tracking diet and fitness apps for better health behaviors. METHODS Existing users of 3 diet and fitness self-tracking apps (Weight Watchers, MyFitnessPal, and sport apps) were recruited from 3 regions of France. We interviewed 79 individuals (Weight Watchers, n=37; MyFitnessPal, n=20; sport apps, n=22). In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with each participant, using open-ended questions about their use of diet and fitness apps. A triangulation of methods (content, textual, and quantitative analyses) was performed. RESULTS We found 3 clusters of interviewees who differed by social background and curative goal linked to use under constraint versus preventive goal linked to chosen use, and intensity of their self-quantification efforts and participation in social networks. Interviewees used the apps for a diversity of uses, including measurement, tracking, quantification, and participation in digital communities. A digital divide was highlighted, comprising a major social gap. Social conditions for appropriation of self-tracking devices included sociodemographic factors, life course stages, and cross-cutting factors of heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS Individuals from affluent or intermediate social milieus were most likely to use the apps and to participate in the associated online social networks. These interviewees also demonstrated a preventive approach to a healthy lifestyle. Individuals from lower milieus were more reluctant to use digital devices relating to diet and physical activity or to participate in self-quantification. The results of the study have major implications for public health: the digital self-quantification device is intrinsically less important than the way the individual uses it, in terms of adoption of successful health behaviors.

scholarly journals A childhood obesity prevention programme in Barcelona (POIBA Project): Study protocol of the intervention

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Sánchez-Martínez ◽  
Olga Juárez ◽  
Gemma Serral ◽  
Sara Valmayor ◽  
Rosa Puigpinós ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Total Duration ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Preventive Interventions ◽  
School Based ◽  
Diet And Physical Activity

Background: Childhood obesity preventive interventions should promote a healthy diet and physical activity at home and school. This study aims to describe a school-based childhood obesity preventive programme (POIBA Project) targeting 8-to-12- year-old. Design and methods: Evaluation study of a school-based intervention with a pre-post quasi-experimental design and a comparison group. Schools from disadvantaged neighbourhoods are oversampled. The intervention consists of 9 sessions, including 58 activities of a total duration between 9 and 13 hours, and the booster intervention of 2 sessions with 8 activities lasting 3 or 4 hours. They are multilevel (individual, family and school) and multicomponent (classroom, physical activity and family). Data are collected through anthropometric measurements, physical fitness tests and lifestyle surveys before and after the intervention and the booster intervention. In the intervention group, families complete two questionnaires about their children’s eating habits and physical activity. The outcome variable is the cumulative incidence rate of obesity, obtained from body mass index values and body fat assessed by triceps skinfold thickness. The independent variables are socio-demographic, contextual, eating habits, food frequency, intensity of physical activity and use of new technologies. Expected impact for public health: It is essential to implement preventive interventions at early ages and to follow its effects over time. Interventions involving diet and physical activity are the most common, being the most effective setting the school. The POIBA Project intervenes in both the school and family setting and focuses on the most disadvantaged groups, in which obesity is most pronounced and difficult to prevent.

scholarly journals Online Social Networks That Connect Users to Physical Activity Partners: A Review and Descriptive Analysis

2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atul Nakhasi ◽  
Album Xiaotian Shen ◽  
Ralph Joseph Passarella ◽  
Lawrence J Appel ◽  
Cheryl AM Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Online Social Networks ◽  
Descriptive Analysis

Social Influences, Social Context, and Health Behaviors Among Working-Class, Multi-Ethnic Adults

2006 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 315-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen M. Emmons ◽  
Elizabeth M. Barbeau ◽  
Caitlin Gutheil ◽  
Jo Ellen Stryker ◽  
Anne M. Stoddard
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Working Class ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Social Norms ◽  
Social Influence ◽  
Vegetable Intake ◽  
Social Influences ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Intake ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable

Little research has explored the relationship between social influences (e.g., social networks, social support, social norms) and health as related to modifying factors that may contribute to health disparities. This is a cross-sectional analysis of fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity, using baseline data from two cancer prevention studies with working-class, multi-ethnic adults. Several social influence and social contextual variables were associated with fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity in both samples. Fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with social norms and social networks, although different contextual variables also were related to intake across the two samples. Physical activity was associated with social networks, social norms, and competing demands. By examining how key social influence and contextual mediating variables relate to health behaviors, we can learn more about the types of interventions that might be needed to promote sustained health behavior change in this population.

scholarly journals Home Monitoring in Glaucoma

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toby Boote ◽  
Andrew J Tatham ◽  
◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Heart Rate ◽  
Intraocular Pressure ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Home Monitoring ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
Digital Devices ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Efficacy Of Treatment

A wide range of relatively cheap, wearable digital devices are now available that enable self-monitoring of parameters such as heart rate, blood pressure, physical activity and sleep patterns. Although these devices are often marketed at healthy people, new technologies that permit home monitoring may also have the potential to improve the detection and management of chronic diseases including glaucoma. If patients were able to measure their intraocular pressure or perform perimetry at home, many more measurements could be obtained, with the potential to improve our ability to differentiate true change from test–retest variability. Home monitoring may also improve our ability to determine efficacy of treatment and enhance patient engagement.

scholarly journals Support or competition? How online social networks increase physical activity: A randomized controlled trial

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 453-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingwen Zhang ◽  
Devon Brackbill ◽  
Sijia Yang ◽  
Joshua Becker ◽  
Natalie Herbert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Online Social Networks ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Randomized Controlled

scholarly journals Adapting a Parental Support App to Promote Healthy Diet and Physical Activity Behaviors (MINISTOP) for a Multi-Ethnic Setting: A Qualitative Study on the Needs and Preferences of Parents and Nurses within Swedish Child Health Care

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 2190
Author(s):  
Christina Alexandrou ◽  
Ulrika Müssener ◽  
Kristin Thomas ◽  
Hanna Henriksson ◽  
Marie Löf
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Parental Support ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Healthy Diet ◽  
Ethnic Communities ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Diet And Physical Activity ◽  
Nurses Perceptions ◽  
Audio Video

Early efforts for prevention of childhood overweight and obesity are needed. In order to adapt an app promoting healthy diet and physical activity behaviors in children (MINISTOP 1.0) for multi-ethnic communities, we explored: (1) needs and concerns among Somali-, Arabic-, and Swedish-speaking parents in terms of supporting healthy diet and activity behaviors in their children; (2) nurses’ perceptions of parental needs and concerns in relation to diet and physical activity behaviors; and (3) how the features and content of the MINISTOP 1.0 app could be refined to better support health behaviors in children, among both parents and nurses. Focus groups with Somali-, Arabic-, and Swedish-speaking parents (n = 15), and individual interviews with nurses (n = 15) were conducted. Parents expressed several challenges in supporting children’s health behaviors, the need for a tailored app, and alternative ways of accessing the content (audio/video). Nurses emphasized the need of supporting parents early, and the value of a shared platform in different languages, to facilitate communication. This study contributes valuable insights about parental needs and relevant adaptations to a parental support app, such as addition of audio/video files for increased accessibility. This adapted app version—MINISTOP 2.0, can be useful for childhood obesity prevention in multi-ethnic communities.

scholarly journals Adoption Of Social Networks In Business: Study Of Users And Potential Users In Oman

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali H. Al-Badi ◽  
Wafa S. Al-Qayoudhi
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Online Social Networks ◽  
Business Models ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Business World ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Impact

Web 2.0 technologies have become effective tools in recent years, being used by people everywhere for everything. One of the most effective types of Web 2.0 technology is online social networks. Social networks, like Facebook and Twitter, are being used in communication and for building social capital between people. However, they have become important tools in the business world, and business people have realized that social networks are applicable tools in their daily business tasks. There is a belief that social networking and social media are going to transform peoples live styles, change their cultures, revolutionize communication, and reform the existing business models. From this standpoint, this research investigates and attempts to understand the adoption of social networks in business. This research raises three main questions: 1) What is the impact of utilizing social networks in business?, 2) How does business increase opportunities by adopting social networks?, and 3) What are the obstacles that discourage certain organizations from utilizing social networks in their business? The main theoretical objectives of this research are to investigate and explore the opportunities and reasons behind adopting social networks in business, to investigate the impacts of social networks on business and what the consequences are for individual businesses, and to discover the reasons which are preventing certain businesses from adopting social networks. In order to achieve the researchs objectives about 130 questionnaires were distributed to different private organizations in Oman. Some of the initial findings of this exploratory study are that the majority of organizations that participated fall into the services category; 57% of the respondents have face-to-face meetings as well as online/email to communicate with their customers, and 81% of these organizations allow their employees to access/browse the Internet during working hours; 31% of the organizations said that the main gain from utilizing social networking is to encourage and empower employees to discuss ideas, post news, ask questions, and share links; 62% of the organizations agreed that one of the obstacles preventing them from adopting social networking is the lack of quantifiable business benefits. This study is expected to help businesses that are trying to gain competitive advantage by deploying these new technologies and ideas for the enhancement of their operations.

Understanding the Value of Digital Marketing Tools for SMEs

2021 ◽  
pp. 22-43
Author(s):  
Elisabete Paulo Morais ◽  
Carlos Rompante Cunha ◽  
Arlindo Santos
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Behavior ◽  
Online Social Networks ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Digital Marketing ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Online Tools ◽  
The Common

Digital marketing is gaining predominance in marketing strategies across the globe. Digitization is becoming more and more present in business, not just changes in consumer behavior, but the adoption of new technologies, tools, and applications is highly disruptive, with immediate impact on the business of all companies. The common link between digital marketing definitions is the use of tools, namely online tools. One of the biggest changes in human interaction is the recent proliferation of online social networks. Rapid growth of web-based platforms that facilitate online social behavior has significantly modified the nature of human activities, habitats, and interactions. Real-world social relationships have been migrated to the virtual world, resulting in online communities that bring people together from across the globe. This study aims to identify and describe the various digital marketing tools and which of these can be used to increase the SMEs competitiveness.

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