Systematic co-development and testing of a digital behaviour change intervention for osteoarthritis and physical...

Osteoarthritis (OA) affects 8.75 million people in the UK. Physical activity (PA) is recommended as a core treatment, yet nearly half of people with OA are inactive. Accessible and user-friendly interventions are needed to motivate people with OA to be active. Digital behaviour change interventions (DBCIs) might help to support people with OA to self-manage their own levels of PA. The aim of this project was to co-develop and test a DBCI to motivate people with OA to be active.

A mixed methods design was adopted to build the theoretical foundations, develop, and test a complex DBCI. Two patient research partners with lived experience of OA were recruited onto the project team to assist with intervention development, which was guided by the intervention mapping (IM) approach. Interviews and think-aloud sessions were then used to explore attitudes, values, and perceived effectiveness of the website.

The IM approach enabled the development of a prototype website to be illustrated in a clear and transparent way, showing a link between the practical materials adopted within the website and the theoretical constructs they were attempting to change. Potential users highlighted the importance of clear, easy-to-understand information, focusing on enjoyment and social connectedness.

DBCI development should be based on theory, adequately described, and thoroughly tested with potential users to understand how they might choose to integrate digital interventions into everyday life.