Domin Alex, Ouzzahra Yacine, Vögele Claus
Research Group for Self-Regulation and Health, Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
Research Support Department, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
JMIR Hum Factors. 2022 Jun 9;9(2):e33972. doi: 10.2196/33972.
There is solid evidence that lack of physical activity (PA) is a risk factor for chronic diseases. Sufficient levels of PA in childhood and adolescence are particularly important, as they can set the standards for PA levels in adulthood. The latest reports show that only a small percentage of adolescents reach the recommended levels of PA in European Union countries at the age of 15 years. In view of the scale of the problem, it is crucial to develop interventions that promote and support PA in adolescents. Considering their low implementation costs and ubiquitous presence, smartphone apps could be advantageous as a part of PA interventions.
This study aimed at investigating the attitudes and preferences of adolescents aged 16-18 years toward various PA app features and components that could (1) make the app more attractive for them and consequently (2) increase their interest and engagement with the app.
Two separate focus group discussions were conducted in 2 groups of adolescents (n=4 each) aged 16-18 years. Focus groups were carried out online via video conference. The discussions were conducted using a semistructured interview. Participants (n=8; 4 males and 4 females) had a mean age of 17.25 years (SD 0.82 years). Transcripts were analyzed following the approach by Krueger and Casey, that is, categorizing participants' answers and comments according to the questions and themes from the focus group schedule.
Features, such as "goal setting and planning," "coaching and training programs," "activity tracking," "feedback," and "location tracking" were appraised as attractive, motivating, and interesting. An "automatic activity recognition" feature was perceived as useful only under the condition that its precision was high. The "reminders" component was also deemed as useful only if a range of conditions was fulfilled (timeliness, opportunity for customization, etc). The features "mood and sleep tracking," "sharing workout results via social networks," "digital avatar and coach," and "rewards" were generally perceived negatively and considered as useless and not motivating. In general, participants preferred features with an easy-to-navigate interface and a clear, simplistic, and straightforward layout with a modern design. Customization and personalization qualities were highly appreciated throughout an app, together with data precision.
This study contributes to the understanding of the features and components preferred by adolescents in apps promoting PA. Such apps should provide users with precise data, and have a simplistic modern design and a straightforward easy-to-use interface. Apps should be personalized and customizable. Desired features to be included in an app are goal setting and planning, feedback, coaching and training programs, and activity tracking. The features should involve high levels of data precision and timely delivery while taking into consideration the real-life context.
有确凿证据表明，缺乏体育活动是慢性病的一个风险因素。儿童期和青少年期充足的体育活动水平尤为重要，因为它们可以为成年后的体育活动水平设定标准。最新报告显示，在欧盟国家，只有一小部分青少年在15岁时达到推荐的体育活动水平。鉴于问题的规模，制定促进和支持青少年体育活动的干预措施至关重要。考虑到智能手机应用程序实施成本低且无处不在，作为体育活动干预措施的一部分可能具有优势。
本研究旨在调查16 - 18岁青少年对各种体育活动应用程序功能和组件的态度及偏好，这些功能和组件能够（1）使应用程序对他们更具吸引力，进而（2）增加他们对应用程序的兴趣和参与度。
对两组16 - 18岁的青少年（每组n = 4）进行了两次单独的焦点小组讨论。焦点小组通过视频会议在线进行。讨论采用半结构化访谈。参与者（n = 8；4名男性和4名女性）的平均年龄为17.25岁（标准差0.82岁）。按照克鲁格和凯西的方法对访谈记录进行分析，即根据焦点小组日程中的问题和主题对参与者的回答和评论进行分类。
“目标设定与规划”“指导与训练计划”“活动追踪”“反馈”和“位置追踪”等功能被认为具有吸引力、激励性和趣味性。“自动活动识别”功能只有在精度高的情况下才被认为有用。“提醒”组件也只有在满足一系列条件（及时性、定制机会等）时才被认为有用。“情绪和睡眠追踪”“通过社交网络分享锻炼结果”“数字化身和教练”以及“奖励”等功能总体上被负面看待，被认为无用且缺乏激励性。总体而言，参与者更喜欢界面易于操作、布局清晰、简单直接且具有现代设计的功能。整个应用程序中，定制和个性化功能以及数据精度都受到高度赞赏。
本研究有助于了解青少年在促进体育活动的应用程序中更喜欢的功能和组件。此类应用程序应向用户提供精确的数据，具有简单的现代设计和直接易用的界面。应用程序应具备个性化和可定制性。应用程序中应包含的理想功能有目标设定与规划、反馈、指导与训练计划以及活动追踪。这些功能应在考虑现实生活背景的同时，具备高水平的数据精度和及时交付性。
