Childhood Weight Management: the Development and Refinement of an mHealth Intervention in Primary Care

This study measured the parents’ experience after using a mobile health (mHealth) app based upon interface design, readability, and effectiveness in order to discuss possible behavior change and weight management to prevent childhood obesity. A mixed method approach using the system usability scale and semi-structured interviews in two phases that occurred over a period of 6 consecutive weeks were undertaken. Six families (n = 12) were recruited, with having one obese child as the primary inclusion criteria. The study findings were classified into three different aspects, namely usability assessment, usability score result, and parents’ preference which demonstrated diversified experiences regarding two versions of the app. Prioritizing the second version in respect to its user-friendly interface, behavior change, and health information, participants suggested necessary amendments to operate the app straightforwardly. The most significant result has identified an inadequate concentration on user (parents’) engagement from the development to the refinement of an mHealth app. Hence, childhood weight management has progressively intensified parental awareness through the intervention of mHealth. Further research should take into account determining the reciprocal relation between user experiences and user engagement to explore the nature of effectiveness of an mHealth app.