iEngage: a digital health education program designed to enhance physical activity in young adolescents

Abstract

iEngage© is a modular health education and behavioural change program designed to provide adolescents with knowledge and practical skills and to help them moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Key features of the program include the iEngage© app which integrates learning modules with activity trackers data (Misfit Ray©), evidence-based health information, guidance through goals setting, self-monitoring, assessment of achievements, and experiential learning supported by the activity trackers. iEngage© was implemented in school context in 10–12 years old adolescents over 5 weeks involving 10 learning and behavioural change modules and continuous monitoring of steps. Results show that adolescents effectively set goals and self-assessed achievements during the program, progressing toward higher activity levels. Daily steps increased through the program (+ 30% or + 2647 steps/day) as well as the consistency of days totalling at least 11,000 steps/day (from 35% at the beginning to 48% at the end of the program). Average schooldays MVPA was assessed pre- and post- via research grade GENEActiv wrist accelerometers in iEngage and control participants. Contrasting with the control group, MVPA increased after the program ( ~ + 5 min/day) in short bouts, particularly during lunch time, recess and after school. Girls were found less active than boys and progressed goals and PA achievements less than boys during the program. The iEngage© program and its digital app, incorporates experiential learning, goals setting, self-monitoring and self-assessment of PA, and effectively helped young adolescents enhance PA and build up MVPA in daily life.

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“…There is also a focus on health literacy throughout the program, which involves teaching participants to define and classify physical activity intensities (light, moderate, and vigorous), self-ratings of perceived effort during exercise, recommended guidelines relating to physical activity, sedentary behaviors, fitness, well-being (physical, mental, and social), screen-based behaviors, and sugar intake. iEngage was built for schoolchildren aged 10 to 12 years without a chronic disease; it was piloted in a rural school in New Caledonia [ 18 ] and trialed in 2 primary schools in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, in 2017 and 2018 [ 19 , 21 ]. Caillaud et al [ 19 ] and Diaz et al [ 21 ] have detailed the iEngage program.…”

“…iEngage was built for schoolchildren aged 10 to 12 years without a chronic disease; it was piloted in a rural school in New Caledonia [ 18 ] and trialed in 2 primary schools in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, in 2017 and 2018 [ 19 , 21 ]. Caillaud et al [ 19 ] and Diaz et al [ 21 ] have detailed the iEngage program.…”

“…The iBounce program uses iEngage [18][19][20], which includes a digital app on a tablet connected to wearable activity trackers that record physical activity continuously and support experiential learning. The iEngage digital app includes animated animal characters who guide the child through 10 self-paced educational modules that focus on different health topics, including physical activity, muscular strength, sedentary behaviors, and fitness (refer to Multimedia Appendix 1 [19] for a summary of the module topics).…”

“…The iBounce program uses iEngage [18][19][20], which includes a digital app on a tablet connected to wearable activity trackers that record physical activity continuously and support experiential learning. The iEngage digital app includes animated animal characters who guide the child through 10 self-paced educational modules that focus on different health topics, including physical activity, muscular strength, sedentary behaviors, and fitness (refer to Multimedia Appendix 1 [19] for a summary of the module topics). There is also a focus on health literacy throughout the program, which involves teaching participants to define and classify physical activity intensities (light, moderate, and vigorous), self-ratings of perceived effort during exercise, recommended guidelines relating to physical activity, sedentary behaviors, fitness, well-being (physical, mental, and social), screen-based behaviors, and sugar intake.…”

“…iBounce uses a slightly modified version of iEngage (BePatient), an evidence-based health education program that provides children without chronic disease with health knowledge and practical skills to improve their physical activity behaviors and strive toward achieving recommended moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels. iEngage uses a digital app on a tablet connected to wearable activity trackers that record physical activity continuously and support experiential learning [ 18 , 19 ]. We adapted iEngage to create the home-based iBounce intervention by modifying physical activities, educational content, and readability of the program, as well as incorporating direct parent involvement in the intervention and creating a messaging platform for participants to contact the study coordinator for technical assistance or general inquiries.…”