The acceptability, usability, engagement and optimisation of a mHealth service promoting healthy lifestyle behaviours: A mixed method feasibility study.

OBJECTIVE: Mobile health (mHealth) services suffer from high attrition rates yet represent a viable strategy for adults to improve their health. There is a need to develop evidence-based mHealth services and to constantly evaluate their feasibility. This study explored the acceptability, usability, engagement and optimisation of a co-developed mHealth service, aiming to promote healthy lifestyle behaviours.

METHODS: The service LongLife Active® (LLA) is a mobile app with coaching. Adults were recruited from the general population. Quantitative results and qualitative findings guided the reasoning for the acceptability, usability, engagement and optimisation of LLA. Data from: questionnaires, log data, eight semi-structured interviews with users, feedback comments from users and two focus groups with product developers and coaches were collected. Inductive content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data. A mixed method approach was used to interpret the findings.

RESULTS: The final sample was 55 users (82% female), who signed up to use the service for 12 weeks. Engagement data was available for 43 (78%). The action plan was the most popular function engaged with by users. The mean scores for acceptability and usability were 3.3/5.0 and 50/100, respectively, rated by 15 users. Users expressed that the service's health focus was unique, and the service gave them a 'kickstart' in their behaviour change. Many ways to optimise the service were identified, including to increase personalisation, promote motivation and improve usability.

CONCLUSION: By incorporating suggestions for optimisation, this service has the potential to support peoples' healthy lifestyle behaviours.