Mixed-methods study of development and design needs for CommitFit, an adolescent mHealth App

Area of Science:

• Adolescent Health
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Digital Health

Background:

• Adolescent obesity is a major public health concern in the US.
• Mobile health (mHealth) apps offer a promising avenue for health interventions.
• Co-developing mHealth apps with adolescent users is key to improving health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore visual design and functional requirements for the CommitFit mHealth app.
• To identify gamification techniques that motivate adolescents towards healthy lifestyles.
• To understand adolescent expectations for using the CommitFit mHealth application.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods study involving adolescents aged 13-15.
• Semi-structured interviews and task analysis to gather user requirements.
• System Usability Scale (SUS) surveys to validate user-centered design.

Main Results:

• Adolescents prefer colorful, user-friendly interfaces with gamification elements.
• User-centered design was validated through SUS data.
• Key preferred features include educational resources, goal recommendations, leaderboards, points, reminders, and avatars.

Conclusions:

• Adolescent feedback is vital for successful mHealth app development.
• Gamification techniques significantly enhance adolescent engagement and motivation.
• Further research is needed to assess the clinical effectiveness of the CommitFit app.