Presented by: Grace O'Malley
Background: Obesity is a global epidemic with behavioural change approaches to
improving nutrition, increasing physical activity level and reducing sitting time
recommended as best practice in adolescence. Access to evidence-based treatment is limited however and portable technologies such as a smartphone applications may
provide a useful platform to deliver such lifestyle interventions. No evidence-based
validated application exists for obesity intervention.
Objective: The current aimed to test the usability and quality of a smartphone application, which
has been developed as an intervention for adolescents who are obese.
Methods: Usability was defined in line with ISO 9241-11 as the extent to which the application
could be used by adolescents who are obese to achieve specified tasks with
effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction while using the application as a behavior
change tool. Participants were given eight tasks to complete in order to test the effectiveness of the application. A research assistant timed the user completing each task in order to test relative user efficiency of the application. In exploration of
user satisfaction, each participant completed the standardised Software Usability
Measurement Inventory (SUMI) which measures five aspects of user satisfaction.
Descriptive statistics were used to explore the mean relative user efficiency and
SUMI scores.
Results: Adolescents completed all tasks successfully and the mean relative user efficiency and SUMI scores were good. Users responded that they would mainly use the app. to monitor their growth over time, for motivation and for goal setting. All users described the app. as important for them.”
Presenter Biography:
Grace is a Chartered Physiotherapist based in Temple Street Children’s University Hospital, Dublin. She is undertaking a PhD in Public Health for which she has developed and tested a smartphone application to be used as part of an eHealth intervention in adolescents who are obese. Her main interest is the integration of technology in healthcare delivery and interventions in order to provide evidence-based care remotely.
Twitter: @w82goprogramme