Adaptation of an Adult Web Application for Type 1 Diabetes Self-management to Youth Using the Behavior Change Wheel to Tailor the Needs of Health Care Transition: Qualitative Interview Study

Youth (aged 14-24 years) living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) encounter increased challenges in their diabetes self-management (DSM), especially during the transition to adult care. Although DSM education and support are imperative, there is insufficient information on how web-based digital tools tailored to their demands can be developed.

On the basis of the Behavior Change Wheel, this study aims to identify, among youth living with T1D, the needs and factors influencing their DSM in the context of health care transition and to inform the adaptation (content and features) of an adult self-guided web application (Support).

Internet-based semistructured individual interviews based on a phenomenological study design were conducted with 21 youths, and transcripts were analyzed using an inductive approach with concept mapping.

Factors influencing T1D self-management were categorized into barriers and facilitators and then as external or internal. Features influencing the accessibility to information, increasing the sense of support, and use of the tool were positively accepted. Features unrelated to their expectations of digital tool use or difficulty navigating were viewed negatively. Participants expressed an interest in reliable, practical, and novel educational content. Although youth considered the information provided by medical professionals to be important, peer exchange was deemed necessary to obtain a practical perspective and real-life examples.

Compared with the adult population, in addition to tailored content and a simplified information search process, when building a DSM education and support digital tool for youth, features should be selected to encourage supervised peer exchange.