Rural Residents' Perspectives on an mHealth or Personalized Health Coaching Intervention: Qualitative Study With...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Informatics
• Rural Health

Background:

• Rural Appalachians face disproportionately high rates of premature illness and death.
• Personal technology offers new avenues to improve lifestyles and address health disparities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and acceptability of a mobile health (mHealth) intervention for rural residents.
• Evaluate an intervention combining a smartphone app, health coaching, and financial incentives for lifestyle changes.

Main Methods:

• Conducted 4 focus groups and 16 key informant interviews with community stakeholders.
• Utilized thematic analysis on transcribed audiotapes of discussions about the intervention.

Main Results:

• Rural residents find personal technology feasible and desirable for health interventions.
• Challenges include lack of awareness, ingrained habits, and financial constraints.
• Successful interventions need personal connections, local coaches, and educational components.

Conclusions:

• Integrating technology with health coaching is acceptable and potentially essential for reaching rural populations.
• Tailoring interventions to local needs enhances their effectiveness in improving health outcomes.