Spanish versión of The App Behavior Change Scale (ABACUS-Es): Adaptation and validation study

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Health Informatics
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• The proliferation of health applications necessitates rigorous evaluation of their reliability and user-centered design.
• Digital health tools must meet user needs to be effective and accepted by healthcare services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To translate and culturally adapt The App Behavior Change Scale (ABACUS) into Spanish.
• To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the ABACUS (ABACUS-Es).

Main Methods:

• A two-phase study involving translation, cultural adaptation, and psychometric evaluation.
• 65 physical activity applications were assessed using the translated scale by two independent reviewers.
• Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were measured using physical activity apps.

Main Results:

• The Spanish adaptation (ABACUS-Es) showed no major differences compared to the original version.
• Excellent interrater reliability (0.82) and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.82) were achieved.
• Appropriate discrimination indices (item-scale correlation) were observed for both raters.

Conclusions:

• ABACUS-Es is a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing the behavior change potential of health apps in Spanish.
• This validated scale will guide future research and development of health behavior change apps for Spanish-speaking populations.
• It provides a framework for app developers to incorporate effective behavior change techniques into their applications.