Designing, Developing, and Evaluating a Stakeholder-Informed Mobile App to Promote Physical Activity in Children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Digital Health Interventions
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Sedentary behavior and obesity are significant health risks. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated sedentary habits in children and adolescents, increasing screen time and decreasing physical activity.
• Exergaming offers a potential solution by merging gameplay with physical activity, but digital health tools often lack end-user input.
• The Walk around the Earth (E-Walk) project addresses this gap by focusing on user-centered development of a physical activity mobile application for primary school students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key factors influencing engagement and usability of a physical activity mobile app for primary school students.
• To develop a user-informed mobile application promoting physical activity, incorporating feedback from children, teachers, and guardians.
• To evaluate the app's effectiveness in increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior.

Main Methods:

• A group concept mapping approach was used to identify influential features for app engagement and usability.
• Primary stakeholders, including children, teachers, guardians, and physical activity experts, were involved in the participatory design process.
• A mixed-method evaluation incorporating anthropometric data, physical activity questionnaires (PAQ-C, IPAQ), and engagement metrics will assess the app's effectiveness.

Main Results:

• The study is prospective and focuses on the development and evaluation phases.
• Participatory design is central to aligning app features with end-user needs and motivations.
• The E-Walk project aims to create a user-informed digital intervention for sustainable behavioral change.

Conclusions:

• The E-Walk project utilizes participatory design, educational content, and activity challenges for a comprehensive health promotion strategy.
• This study contributes to developing user-informed digital interventions to foster sustainable behavioral changes in children.
• The project supports broader goals of child well-being and the advancement of digital health promotion.