Content complexity of nutrition apps

apps;nutrition

DiFilippo, Kristen Nicole

关键词: apps;    nutrition;   

Others  :  https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/99220/DIFILIPPO-DISSERTATION-2017.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

美国|英语

来源: The Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship

【 摘 要 】

App use in nutrition education is increasing with 58% of U.S. mobile phone usersdownloading health apps and 62% of dietitians recommending diet/physical activity trackingapps. App behavior change techniques include goal setting, self-monitoring, and feedback;however, dietitian involvement in app content development remains uncertain. This projectsobjectives were: understanding nutrition apps’ role in knowledge/behavior change; developingan objective app evaluation method; feasibility testing of app incorporation into a UniversityExtension heart health program; and assessment of app incorporation into dietetics practice.Objective 1 was met through systematic review using the PICOS statement “for adultswithout disease, will nutrition apps result in increased knowledge or behavior compared to othereducation types or compared to baseline?”, finding 3 studies, all suggesting apps improveparticipant engagement.Objective 2 was met through development, face and content validation, and reliabilitytesting of the App Quality Evaluation (AQEL). An initial AQEL item pool (n=94) was expandedwith 22 new app-specific items. Face and content validation resulted in 51 AQEL items. Forreliability testing, 25 dietitians used AQEL to evaluate apps (n=15) initially and 3 weeks later.Principal component analysis resulted in 25 items in 5 factors: Behavior Change, Knowledge,App Function, Skill Development, and App Purpose. Construct reliability was good for 4 factors(Cronbach’s α>.8), as was split-half reliability (Spearman-Brown coefficient>.8). Test-retestreliability (Wilcoxon Signed Rank) showed AQEL did not change over time (p>.05) except forSkill Development (p=.001). AQEL inter-rater reliability was significant (ICC>.8, p<01).Additional items assessed Age and Audience Appropriateness. Construct reliability was good for all age groups (Cronbach’s α>.8) except adults (Cronbach’s α=.53). Inter-rater reliability of all 7AQEL constructs was ICC (2,15)=.986, p8/10 for Function, Skill Building, Purpose, and Adults appropriateness. Educatorsoffered the app within a heart class. Program attendance and app adoption were low. Highquality apps are available to support nutrition interventions; however, the app addition to anExtension heart health program may not be feasible.Objective 4 was met through the validation and administration of a survey assessing appuse in hypertension management by registered dietitians. While many dietitians recommend appresources to patients with hypertension, most do not have a specific preferred app. Whendietitians do list a preferred app, MyFitnessPal, a diet-tracking app is the most commonly used.Many barriers to app use were identified, with age of participants and experience withtechnology being common barriers to the incorporation of apps into hypertension managementidentified in both the survey and feasibility trial.While apps are pervasive, actual usage varies. More research is needed to overcomebarriers to app use, and to assess the efficacy of apps for behavior change interventions.