Is Fun For Wellness Engaging? Evaluation of User Experience of an Online Intervention to Promote Well-Being and Physical Activity

Abstract

Online well-being interventions demonstrate great promise in terms of both engagement and outcomes. Fun For Wellness (FFW) is a novel online intervention grounded in self-efficacy theory and intended to improve multidimensional well-being and physical activity through multi-modal methods. These strategies include capability-enhancing opportunities, learning experiences such as games, video vignettes, and self-assessments. RCT studies have suggested that FFW is efficacious in improving subjective and domain-specific well-being, and effective in improving mental health, physical health, physical activity, and self-efficacy in United States. adults who are overweight and in the general population. The present study uses qualitative and quantitative user experience data collected during two RCT trials to understand and evaluate engagement with FFW, its drivers, and its outcomes. Results suggest that FFW is enjoyable, moderately engaging, and easy to use; and contributes to positive outcomes including skill development and enhanced confidence, for both overweight individuals and the general adult population. Drivers of engagement appear to include rewards, gamification, scenario-based learning, visual tracking for self-monitoring, ease of use and simple communications, and the entertaining, interactive nature of program activities. Findings indicate that there are opportunities to streamline and simplify the experience. These results can help improve FFW and contribute to the science of engagement with online interventions designed to improve well-being.

The Relationship between Gamified Physical Exercise and Mental Health in Adolescence: An Example of Open Innovation in Gamified Learning

“…In relation to the context of leisure and amusement, the studies of [29,62,66,69] considered that enjoyment favors good mental health, and, as stated by [76], assumed that the effect was therefore promoting the practice of physical activity through the game on cell phones. But, it is also crucial for professionals to advise their gamified practice in educational establishments [76,77].…”

“…A sedentary lifestyle is also a cause of early mortality [27], which is why the new global action plan on physical activity has established the goal of reducing physical inactivity by 10% in 2025 and 15% by 2030 [28]. Thus, the need arises to consider gamified physical activity as a possible solution, due to its potential motivational and positive effects on well-being, enjoyment, happiness, and fun [29].…”

Physical activity self-efficacy online intervention for adults with obesity: protocol for a feasibility study

“…Engagement behavior in the PAS intervention will be assessed at W2 by logging the number of post-introductory challenges completed by PAS participants from the PAS website. Subjective experience in the PAS intervention will be assessed by PAS participants at W2 with a modified questionnaire used in previous research [ 56 ]. The 16-item intervention acceptability questionnaire consists of a mix of 15 quantitative items with Likert-scale (i.e., 0 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree) and one open-ended qualitative item.…”

Baseline self-efficacy predicts subsequent engagement behavior in an online physical activity intervention

“…The self-efficacy to engage data have not been reported in any previous publications. The engagement data were reported in previous publications to describe engagement with the FFW intervention ( 14 – 17 ). For example, objective data (i.e., task completion) and subjective data (i.e., user experience) indicated that many (but not all) participants moderately engaged with and enjoyed the FFW intervention ( 17 ).…”