scholarly journals Participatory Development and Pilot Testing of an Adolescent Health Promotion Chatbot

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Maenhout ◽  
Carmen Peuters ◽  
Greet Cardon ◽  
Sofie Compernolle ◽  
Geert Crombez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Participatory Development ◽  
User Preferences ◽  
Added Value ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Digital Tool ◽  
Pilot Testing ◽  
Behavior Change Interventions ◽  
Log Data Analysis

Background: The use of chatbots may increase engagement with digital behavior change interventions in youth by providing human-like interaction. Following a Person-Based Approach (PBA), integrating user preferences in digital tool development is crucial for engagement, whereas information on youth preferences for health chatbots is currently limited.Objective: The aim of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of adolescents' expectations and preferences for health chatbots and describe the systematic development of a health promotion chatbot.Methods: Three studies in three different stages of PBA were conducted: (1) a qualitative focus group study (n = 36), (2) log data analysis during pretesting (n = 6), and (3) a mixed-method pilot testing (n = 73).Results: Confidentiality, connection to youth culture, and preferences when referring to other sources were important aspects for youth in chatbots. Youth also wanted a chatbot to provide small talk and broader support (e.g., technical support with the tool) rather than specifically in relation to health behaviors. Despite the meticulous approach of PBA, user engagement with the developed chatbot was modest.Conclusion: This study highlights that conducting formative research at different stages is an added value and that adolescents have different chatbot preferences than adults. Further improvement to build an engaging chatbot for youth may stem from using living databases.

scholarly journals A more comprehensive approach offering instruments in one portal to facilitate higher uptake

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
C Rossmann ◽  
F De Bock
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Evidence Synthesis ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Community Setting ◽  
Comprehensive Approach ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Assessment Instruments ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Activity Promotion

Abstract The good practice portal of the Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) consists of a nationwide collection of projects and interventions to promote the health of socially disadvantaged groups at community/setting level. An exchange platform (inforo) is also offered via the operating agency, although its use is still limited. The results of the evaluation of the platform suggest that the provision of practical projects and exchange of knowledge alone is not sufficient to support policy makers and practitioners who want to promote health in the community/setting. There is a need for advice on needs assessment, selection and appropriate implementation of health promotion measures. A comprehensive approach currently being tested in the field of activity promotion for older people is the provision of a web-based “toolbox” comprising the following tools: assessment instruments for analysing the need for health promotion measures, a user-friendly intervention/project database and broader evidence synthesis documents, as well as information on project management (organisational, legal, financial). Following the example of other best practice portals, a ranking methodology was developed to make the level of effectiveness of interventions visible and the evaluation requirements transparent. Evidence synthesis documents provide an entry point to learn more generally what works in a particular area of health promotion. In order to make the “toolbox” accessible to policy-makers and practitioners, information from previous studies was used in the development with regard to content and graphical presentation. BZgA is currently working on integrating evidence into the good practice portal. The evaluation of the toolbox in a small area of health promotion will provide initial insights into the inclusion of evidence and its added value. This presentation will conclude with a discussion of possibilities for improvement, challenges and limitations of this approach.

scholarly journals Pilot Testing the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability in a Process Evaluation of a Community Pharmacy–Based Men’s Mental Health Promotion Program

SAGE Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 215824401988512
Author(s):  
Andrea Lynn Murphy ◽  
David Martin Gardner
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Process Evaluation ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Mental Health Promotion ◽  
Health Promotion Program ◽  
Perceived Effectiveness ◽  
Pilot Testing ◽  
Promotion Program ◽  
Affective Attitude

The objective of this study was to assess men’s acceptability of a men’s mental health promotion program in community pharmacies through pilot testing the theoretical framework of acceptability (TFA) as part of the process evaluation. Five men were interviewed about their experiences with the Headstrong program to learn about the acceptability of the program. The TFA was used as the deductive coding scheme and consists of seven constructs including affective attitude, burden, intervention coherence, ethicality, opportunity costs, perceived effectiveness, and self-efficacy. Three constructs, affective attitude, perceived effectiveness, and intervention coherence, from the TFA were coded in all five transcripts. The most frequently coded constructs were affective attitude and perceived effectiveness, coded 19 and 17 times, respectively. Interviewees all reported good relationships with their pharmacists, which influenced their willingness, attitude, and low burden for participation in Headstrong. Each of the men expressed comments reflecting anticipated effectiveness of the program outside of their own experience and how it could impact other men. Use of the TFA as part of a process evaluation of men’s experiences in a men’s mental health program was useful in identifying men’s perceptions of the program’s acceptability. Further research regarding how the quality of existing relationships with clinicians and patients impacts the TFA constructs of affective attitudes, perceived effectiveness, and burden would be useful.

scholarly journals Adults’ Preferences for Behavior Change Techniques and Engagement Features in a Mobile App to Promote 24-Hour Movement Behaviors: Cross-Sectional Survey Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann DeSmet ◽  
Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij ◽  
Sebastien Chastin ◽  
Geert Crombez ◽  
Ralph Maddison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Change ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
User Preferences ◽  
Movement Behavior ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Behavior Change Techniques ◽  
Self Monitoring

BACKGROUND There is a limited understanding of components that should be included in digital interventions for 24-hour movement behaviors (physical activity [PA], sleep, and sedentary behavior [SB]). For intervention effectiveness, user engagement is important. This can be enhanced by a user-centered design to, for example, explore and integrate user preferences for intervention techniques and features. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine adult users’ preferences for techniques and features in mobile apps for 24-hour movement behaviors. METHODS A total of 86 participants (mean age 37.4 years [SD 9.2]; 49/86, 57% female) completed a Web-based survey. Behavior change techniques (BCTs) were based on a validated taxonomy v2 by Abraham and Michie, and engagement features were based on a list extracted from the literature. Behavioral data were collected using Fitbit trackers. Correlations, (repeated measures) analysis of variance, and independent sample <italic>t</italic> tests were used to examine associations and differences between and within users by the type of health domain and users’ behavioral intention and adoption. RESULTS Preferences were generally the highest for information on the health consequences of movement behavior self-monitoring, behavioral feedback, insight into healthy lifestyles, and tips and instructions. Although the same ranking was found for techniques across behaviors, preferences were stronger for all but one BCT for PA in comparison to the other two health behaviors. Although techniques fit user preferences for addressing PA well, supplemental techniques may be able to address preferences for sleep and SB in a better manner. In addition to what is commonly included in apps, sleep apps should consider providing tips for sleep. SB apps may wish to include more self-regulation and goal-setting techniques. Few differences were found by users’ intentions or adoption to change a particular behavior. Apps should provide more self-monitoring (<italic>P</italic>=.03), information on behavior health outcome (<italic>P</italic>=.048), and feedback (<italic>P</italic>=.04) and incorporate social support (<italic>P</italic>=.048) to help those who are further removed from healthy sleep. A virtual coach (<italic>P</italic><.001) and video modeling (<italic>P</italic>=.004) may provide appreciated support to those who are physically less active. PA self-monitoring appealed more to those with an intention to change PA (<italic>P</italic>=.03). Social comparison and support features are not high on users’ agenda and may not be needed from an engagement point of view. Engagement features may not be very relevant for user engagement but should be examined in future research with a less reflective method. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study provide guidance for the design of digital 24-hour movement behavior interventions. As 24-hour movement guidelines are increasingly being adopted in several countries, our study findings are timely to support the design of interventions to meet these guidelines.

Emergent affordances and potential challenges of mobile learning apps: insights from online reviews

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehran Gholizadeh ◽  
Saeed Akhlaghpour ◽  
Pedro Isaias ◽  
Morteza Namvar
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Learning ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Added Value ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
User Friendliness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Learning Success ◽  
Development Approach

Purpose Through a data-driven theory development approach, this study builds on affordance theory and demonstrates how online mobile app reviews can be analyzed to understand the drivers of informal mobile learning success.Design/methodology/approach Textual big data provide a wealth of information regarding user–app relationships and various facets of user engagement. Adopting structural topic modeling and sentiment analysis, the authors extract latent topics from reviews of two educational apps: Duolingo and Photomath.Findings The findings suggest that the quality of the relationship between users and mobile learning apps is significantly reliant on how underlying affordances have been actualized. While affordances can leverage satisfaction, they may also be a source of frustration in case of any failure in their design or integration. The analysis reveals eight emergent affordances: practicality, affordability, information reliability, instruction integrity, hedonic experience, user-friendliness, interactive input and iterative upgrading.Research limitations/implications Since affordances of a technology entail both enablement and constraint and are best studied as a bundle of connected elements influencing each other reciprocally, the authors discuss how to address potential challenges from technical aspects to the added value of using mobile learning apps.Originality/value The results demonstrate that qualitative information in online reviews about mobile learning app experiences is of significant value. The approach demonstrates how advanced analytics can provide business value by addressing the evolving nature of customer needs and expectations. It proves the value of online reviews in discovering underlying technology affordances and their potential boundaries and challenges.

Understanding attitudes towards the integration of obesity and eating disorders health promotion among key stakeholders: A focus group study

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 46
Author(s):  
Bianca Bullivant ◽  
Jonathan Mond ◽  
Deborah Mitchison ◽  
Clare Stephens ◽  
Jessie Stephens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Key Stakeholders

An Adaptive Vent System for Localized and Customized Thermal Management in Buildings

2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cem Keskin ◽  
M. Pinar Mengüç
Keyword(s):  
Temperature Distribution ◽  
Thermal Management ◽  
System Modeling ◽  
Ventilation System ◽  
Control Unit ◽  
Thermal Conditions ◽  
User Preferences ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Design Development ◽  
Modeling Methodology

Abstract This paper introduces an innovative ventilation system that is capable of providing localized and customized thermal conditions in buildings. The system has diffusers with individually operable flaps that facilitate asymmetric air inlet to control air flow inside a room in an effective way. Moreover, the system involves distributed temperature sensors, a user interface, and a control unit that allows creation and management of “thermal subzones” within a room in accordance with the different preferences of occupants. As a specific case, the thermal management of a typical office in an academic building is considered. Both experimental and numerical studies were conducted to show that it is possible to achieve several degrees of temperature differences at different room locations in a transient and controllable fashion. The dynamic management of the temperature distribution in a room can prevent the waste of conditioning energy. It is shown that the system provides a practical and impactful solution by adapting to different user preferences (UPs) and by minimizing the resource use. In order to deal with the complexity of design, development, and operation of the system, it is considered as a cyber-physical-social system (CPSS). The core of the CPSS approach used here is an enhanced hybrid system modeling methodology that couples human dimension with formal hybrid dynamical modeling. Based on a coherent conceptual framing, the approach can combine the three core aspects, like cyber infrastructure, physical dynamics, and social/human interactions of modern building energy systems to accommodate the environmental challenges. Besides physics-based achievements (managing temperature distribution inside a room), the new AVS can also leverage user engagement and behavior change for energy efficiency in buildings by facilitating a new practice for occupants' interaction with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

scholarly journals Reclaiming Our Spirits: Development and Pilot Testing of a Health Promotion Intervention for Indigenous Women Who Have Experienced Intimate Partner Violence

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen Varcoe ◽  
Annette J. Browne ◽  
Marilyn Ford-Gilboe ◽  
Madeleine Dion Stout ◽  
Holly McKenzie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Indigenous Women ◽  
Health Promotion Intervention ◽  
Pilot Testing

scholarly journals 13.E. Workshop: How to improve the uptake of best practices?

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
General Information ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Prevention Programme ◽  
European Collaboration ◽  
Framework Conditions ◽  
Successes And Challenges

Abstract Background Several countries have a health promotion and disease prevention programme register (also known as good/best practice portal), designed with the aim of supporting policy and practice with evidence-based information. While some of the programme registers have been in use for many years (USA, the Netherlands, Germany, etc.), others have been established recently (France) or are even under development (Slovenia). Though there are differences in terms of categorising good/best practice, all prevention programme registers have many things in common, for instance submission and review processes. Another similarity lies in the common challenges by all programme registers, which relate to the question: “How to improve the uptake of good/best practices?”. Finding answers to this question might contribute to one of the major Public health challenges of today: The translation of evidence into practice. Objective The organisers of the workshop will present different strategies and approaches to improve the uptake of the prevention programme registers, and discuss the successes and challenges of different strategies with workshop participants, as experience shows that more is needed than just offering the prevention programme registers. Today we know that a range of framework conditions must be in place to ensure a supportive environment for the use of the portals. This starts with needs analysis, support in the selection of the most appropriate good/best practices and their transferability and goes as far as capacity building, incentivisation and fostering feedback on adaptations. In detail, the presentations will address: How to build capacity to best use good/best practice (by Netherlands); Whether and how a more comprehensive approach offering instruments for needs assessment, general information and good/best practice in one portal might facilitate uptake (by Germany); and Dissemination strategies: experience and lessons learned (by France) and the added value of European collaboration to improve the uptake of best practices and create a “centre of excellence” for health promotion portals in Europe with the objective to: discuss which framework conditions are most relevant to improve uptake of good/best practicesdiscuss successes and challenges of different strategies. Key messages This workshop will give participants insight into most relevant approaches and infrastructures to improve uptake of good/best practices. It will discuss which different strategies followed by several countries might be successful.

scholarly journals Using Graphics to Promote the Health Values of Indigenous Vegetables in Anaemia, Metabolic Syndrome, and Wound Management

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (9) ◽  
pp. 166
Author(s):  
Isaac C. Ishiekwene ◽  
Solomon E.O. Egwenu ◽  
Helen Chime ◽  
Eunice O. Igumbor ◽  
Ezekiel U. Nwose
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Leafy Vegetables ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Wound Management ◽  
Pictorial Representation ◽  
Bone Maintenance ◽  
Health Values ◽  
Indigenous Vegetables

Vegetables are any plant whose fruit, seeds, roots, tubers, bulbs, stems, leaves, or flower parts are used as food. However, this study captures leafy vegetables which are affordable and quick to cook; rich in several macro and micronutrients including vitamins, minerals and fibers which are essential for anemic, metabolic syndrome and wound management. Though the nutritive contents of these vegetables abound, this study aims at advancing the education on the relevant contents of indigenous vegetables based on established data of the synonymous vegetables. This Case Series article was intended to be pictorial representation of functional leafy vegetables that are available in the research site. Unique graphic designs of the seven indigenous vegetables, which have been previously reviewed, were made to portray their potential micronutrient values and relevance as functional foods in health and disease. Although the seven graphical images indicated similarities, various add-on health values are highlighted. The pictograms depict medical nutrition therapy potentials. . Each pictogram represents an educational tool for health promotion about a vegetable. Bitter leaf had an added value for kidney functions management, Amaranthus for bone maintenance, Lemon grass for insomnia management and general detox, Mint leaf for stomach upset management, Moringa for cancer and malnutrition management, Fluted pumpkin, and Water leaf for constipation management. The health values of these indigenous vegetables include management of common ailments such as anemia, metabolic syndrome and wound management is relatively scarce. This Case Series provides a compendium of seven pictorials to be used as graphical health educational resource to promote consumption of indigenous vegetables in Delta State Nigeria. The significance is to advance health promotion on food matters among a populations where the people may be more inclined to visual prompts. Implications for the COVID19 pandemic is briefly addressed.Keywords: antioxidants, haematinics, health promotion, immunomodulation, infections, metabolic syndrome, micronutrients, wound management

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