A Mobile, Avatar-Based App for Improving Body Perceptions Among Adolescents: A Pilot Test

Area of Science:

• Adolescent health
• Mobile health interventions
• Behavioral science

Background:

• Adolescents frequently use social comparison, rather than objective data, to assess their weight status.
• Accurate self-perception of weight is linked to increased adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviors in adolescents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate the acceptability and usability of a novel avatar-based mobile application called Monitor Your Avatar (MYA).
• To leverage technology for improved adolescent health perception and behavior.

Main Methods:

• The Monitor Your Avatar (MYA) app was designed for high school students to create avatars representing their perceived, desired, and actual body images based on measurements.
• A pilot test was conducted with 42 adolescents (aged 15-18) to assess app acceptability and usability.

Main Results:

• The majority of pilot users (98%) reported comfort with viewing their avatars and expressed willingness to use the app in the future.
• Participants had positive reactions to the personalized avatar representations.
• Demographic data indicated a diverse group of participants, with specific findings on weight status for males and females.

Conclusions:

• Avatar-based mobile applications like MYA offer a promising tool for delivering personalized, immediate feedback on body image perceptions.
• This study supports the limited but growing research on using gamified health interventions for adolescents.
• Further adaptation and testing of the MYA app with larger, more diverse adolescent populations are recommended.