CHEW 2.0: User Testing of the Children Eating Well (CHEW) Smartphone Application for WIC Families

Hull, Pamela C.; Shearer, Elyse; Weber, Summer; Schmidt, Douglas C.; Jones, Jessica; Harris, Calvin; Mulvaney, Shelagh A.

doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2018.04.246

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Literature searches revealed only one previously published study that employed user-centered design principles to inform the development of WIC apps; that study focused on nutrition education and health behavior [30]. The objective of the current study was to conduct formative research applying user-centered design principles to inform the layout and prioritization of the features in mobile apps for low-income families participating in the WIC program that could target outcomes such as WIC family benefit redemption, diet quality, and obesity risk factors among preschool-aged children [31][32][33].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prioritization of Features for Mobile Apps for Families in a Federal Nutrition Program for Low-Income Women, Infants, and Children: User-Centered Design Approach

et al. 2021

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Background The Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a federal nutrition program that provides nutritious food, education, and health care referrals to low-income women, infants, and children up to the age of 5 years. Although WIC is associated with positive health outcomes for each participant category, modernization and efficiency are needed at the clinic and shopping levels to increase program satisfaction and participation rates. New technologies, such as electronic benefits transfer (EBT), online nutrition education, and mobile apps, can provide opportunities to improve the WIC experience for participants. Objective This formative study applies user-centered design principles to inform the layout and prioritization of features in mobile apps for low-income families participating in the WIC program. Methods To identify and prioritize desirable app features, caregivers (N=22) of the children enrolled in WIC participated in individual semistructured interviews with a card sorting activity. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using constant comparative analysis for themes. App features were ranked and placed into natural groupings by each participant. The sum and average of the rankings were calculated to understand which features were prioritized by the users. Natural groupings of features were labeled according to participant descriptions. Results Natural groupings focused on the following categories: clinics/appointments, shopping/stores, education/assessments, location, and recipes/food. Themes from the interviews triangulated the results from the ranking activity. The priority app features were balance checking, an item scanner, and appointment scheduling. Other app features discussed and ranked included appointment reminders, nutrition training and quizzes, shopping lists, clinic and store locators, recipe gallery, produce calculator, and dietary preferences/allergies. Conclusions This study demonstrates how a user-centered design process can aid the development of an app for low-income families participating in WIC to inform the effective design of the app features and user interface.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prioritization of Features for Mobile Apps for Families in a Federal Nutrition Program for Low-Income Women, Infants, and Children: User-Centered Design Approach

et al. 2021

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Parental Perceptions of Priorities and Features for a Mobile Application to Promote Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors in Preschool Children: A Mixed Method Evaluation (Preprint)

Thompson,

Weber,

Mulvaney

et al. 2024

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BACKGROUND Parents of preschool-aged children are a key focus for interventions to shape healthy lifestyle behaviors and support risk reduction for obesity from an early age. In light of limited existing evidence on the use of mobile technology to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors among young children, we sought to gather parental priorities regarding a mobile application focused on guided goal setting across the domains of diet, physical activity, media use, and sleep. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to explore the priorities and needs of parents of 2 to 5-year-old children to guide development of a mobile app aimed at promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors using a novel convergent mixed methods approach. METHODS From November to December 2021, we invited parents/guardians in Kentucky to complete a series of online concept mapping activities and semi-structured interviews (total n=30). Using two lists of items focused on 1) parental priorities and 2) applications features, we asked participants to conduct concept mapping procedures for each list: a virtual sorting activity, where participants grouped items together into thematic piles that made sense to them, and a rating activity, where participants rated each item on a five-point Likert-type scale. The qualitative interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded, and then analyzed by constant comparative analysis to identify themes. We utilized the quantitative findings from the concept mapping process to triangulate the resulting themes from the qualitative interviews. RESULTS The concept mapping results resulted in two 3-cluster concept maps. For parental priorities, participants identified the clusters Creating Healthy Eating Habits, Forming Boundaries, and Building Good Relationships; for application features, participant clusters included Eating Healthy, Using the App, and Setting Goals. The interview themes also represented those two domains. Overall, the participants indicated that the top priorities were general health and wellbeing, routine and setting boundaries, and food and healthy eating when it comes to building healthy behaviors among their preschool age children. Parents indicated that quick, easy, and child-friendly recipes, goal tracking, and the use of tips and notifications were the features they valued most. CONCLUSIONS This study contributes to the understanding of what parents/caregivers of young children want from mobile applications to support building healthy behaviors and routines The findings can inform future research on the development and evaluation of existing or new mobile apps. Specific app features identified to meet family needs should be designed closely with a diverse set of families and tested using rigorous designs to identify the mechanisms of action that mobile apps may use for efficacious healthy parenting outcomes. CLINICALTRIAL Not applicable.

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CHEW 2.0: User Testing of the Children Eating Well (CHEW) Smartphone Application for WIC Families

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

Prioritization of Features for Mobile Apps for Families in a Federal Nutrition Program for Low-Income Women, Infants, and Children: User-Centered Design Approach

Prioritization of Features for Mobile Apps for Families in a Federal Nutrition Program for Low-Income Women, Infants, and Children: User-Centered Design Approach

Parental Perceptions of Priorities and Features for a Mobile Application to Promote Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors in Preschool Children: A Mixed Method Evaluation (Preprint)

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