Integrating Cultural Relevance into a Behavioral mHealth Intervention for Native American Youth

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Behavioral Health
• Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

Background:

• Native American communities face significant behavioral health disparities.
• Existing mobile health (mHealth) interventions often lack cultural relevance for Native American youth.
• Addressing these disparities requires tailored digital health solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the co-design of a culturally relevant behavioral mHealth intervention for Native American youth.
• To identify key themes for designing effective mHealth tools within Native American communities.
• To understand challenges in cross-cultural software design.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of co-design and focus group sessions using grounded theory.
• Development of a prototype behavioral mHealth intervention (ARORA) co-designed with stakeholders.
• Inclusion of Native American youth, a community advisory board, and a clinical psychologist.

Main Results:

• Native American youth expressed a strong desire for didactic interaction incorporating cultural and behavioral health elements.
• Key themes critical for relevant mHealth designs were identified through community input.
• The co-design process highlighted specific needs for culturally resonant digital interventions.

Conclusions:

• Co-design is crucial for developing relevant mHealth interventions for Native American youth.
• Integrating cultural elements and didactic content enhances engagement.
• Recommendations are provided for overcoming cross-cultural design challenges in HCI research.