Cahill Christopher, Connolly Jennifer, Appleton Shelley, White Melanie Jade
School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, 149 Victoria Park Rd, Kelvin Grove, 4059, Australia, 61 7 3138 8970.
JMIR Pediatr Parent. 2024 Oct 15;7:e48910. doi: 10.2196/48910.
Despite accessibility and clinical benefits, open access trials of self-guided digital health interventions (DHIs) for young people have been plagued by high drop-out rates, with some DHIs recording completion rates of less than 3%.
The aim of this study was to explore how young people motivate themselves to complete an unpleasant task and to explore perceived motivators and demotivators for engaging with a DHI.
In this qualitative research study, 30 children and adolescents aged between 7 and 17 years were recruited to participate in 7 focus groups conducted over a 3-month period. Focus group activities and discussions explored sources of motivation to complete tasks and engage in a hypothetical 6-week DHI for anxiety.
Children (aged 7-11 years) reported greater reliance on external motivators such as following parent instruction to complete unpleasant tasks, while adolescents (aged 12-17 years) reported greater internal motivation such as self-discipline. Program factors, such as engaging content, were the most commonly mentioned motivators for engaging with a DHI across both age groups. After that, internal sources of motivation were most commonly mentioned, such as perceived future benefits. External factors were the most commonly mentioned demotivators across all ages, with time commitment being the most frequently mentioned.
The study's findings have implications for enhancing adherence in future DHIs targeted to children and adolescents. Recommendations include the need for supportive parental involvement for children, while adolescents would likely benefit from mechanisms that promote autonomy, establish a supportive environment, and align with personal interests and values. Belief that a DHI will provide short-term benefits is important to both children and adolescents, as well as having confidence that future benefits will be realized.
尽管自助式数字健康干预措施（DHI）具有可及性并能带来临床益处，但针对年轻人的开放式数字健康干预试验一直受到高辍学率的困扰，一些DHI的完成率不到3%。
本研究旨在探讨年轻人如何激励自己完成一项不愉快的任务，并探讨参与DHI的感知激励因素和阻碍因素。
在这项定性研究中，招募了30名7至17岁的儿童和青少年，在3个月的时间内参加7个焦点小组。焦点小组活动和讨论探讨了完成任务以及参与一项为期6周的焦虑症DHI的动机来源。
儿童（7至11岁）报告更多地依赖外部激励因素，如听从父母的指示来完成不愉快的任务，而青少年（12至17岁）则报告有更强的内部动机，如自律。在两个年龄组中，诸如引人入胜的内容等项目因素是参与DHI最常被提及的激励因素。在此之后，最常被提及的是内部动机来源，如感知到的未来益处。外部因素是所有年龄段最常被提及的阻碍因素，其中时间投入是最常被提及的。
该研究结果对提高未来针对儿童和青少年的DHI的依从性具有启示意义。建议包括儿童需要父母的支持性参与，而青少年可能会从促进自主性、建立支持性环境以及符合个人兴趣和价值观的机制中受益。相信DHI会带来短期益处对儿童和青少年都很重要，同时也要对未来能实现益处有信心。
