Development of a health-tracking tool for the Brazilian population: a pilot study with Brazilian women

Mobile apps can promote different behavioral interventions, thus decreasing preventable health problems. Challenges persist in ensuring the quality and reliability of these applications, as few have undergone rigorous scientific evaluation. Additionally, few scientifically validated questionnaires on well-being, adapted for the general public, are available in the literature. The objective of this study was to test and validate a general health assessment instrument based on questionnaires available in the literature, previously validated for the Brazilian population.

The tracking tool was tested with healthy women, 18 to 50 years old. The instrument was constructed as a 29-question online form comprising 5 main clusters or "pillars" of individual health: general health, diet and nutrition, movement and activity, sleep, and mental health. The original and adapted versions of two sections (Sleep and Mental Health) were applied in a subsample of participants to compare intra-individual variability. Data from the "Mental Health" and "Sleep" sections were rigorously tested for normality and Pearson's correlation test was performed to compare the results of the original and adapted versions intra-individually. Chi-Square and McNemar tests were employed to pair categorical data and account for correspondence between the answers to the two forms of the questionnaires.

Seventy-one women answered the instrument with the proposed adapted versions of the questionnaires. The average completion time was between 12-20 min. The mean scores of the diet, movement, and general health questionnaires were similar to those of the original questionnaires from which questions were taken. The "Sleep" and "Mental Health" exhibited intra-individual divergences concerning the classification of results. The correlation between the original and adapted versions was improved after revising some of the questions (r = 0.9287; p < 0.0001).

The results of the present study demonstrate that this adapted instrument is valid and reliable for assessing the intended five pillars of health. Studies with larger sample sizes and other populations are encouraged.