Engagement With a Smartphone-Delivered Dietary Education Intervention and Its Relation to Dietary Intake and Cardiometabolic Risk Markers in People With Type 2 Diabetes: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial
Abstract BackgroundMobile health (mHealth) interventions offer a promising way to support healthy lifestyle habits, but effectiveness depends on user engagement. Maintaining high user engagement in app-based interventions is important, yet challenging. ObjectiveWe...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
JMIR Publications
2025-05-01
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| Series: | JMIR Formative Research |
| Online Access: | https://formative.jmir.org/2025/1/e71408 |
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| Summary: | Abstract
BackgroundMobile health (mHealth) interventions offer a promising way to support healthy lifestyle habits, but effectiveness depends on user engagement. Maintaining high user engagement in app-based interventions is important, yet challenging.
ObjectiveWe aimed to examine the association between user engagement with an app-based dietary education for people with type 2 diabetes and changes in diet quality, dietary intake, and clinical measures.
MethodsIn this randomized clinical trial, people with type 2 diabetes were recruited within primary care and randomized 1:1 to a 12-week smartphone-delivered app-based dietary education or control group. Participants were followed up after 3, 6, and 12 months. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. The control group received the app at the 3-month follow-up. User engagement was analyzed among all participants. Categories of high (100%), moderate (50%‐99.9%), and low (<50%) user engagement were created based on the percentage of activities completed in the app. We used paired t
ResultsData from 119 participants (60.5%, 72/119 men) were analyzed. The mean age at baseline was 63.2 (SD 10.3) years and mean BMI was 30.1 (SD 5.1) kg/m2P
ConclusionsUser engagement was generally high for the smartphone-based dietary education, suggesting that an app targeting dietary habits is feasible to use. Those with higher user engagement seem to maintain healthier dietary behaviours over time, compared to those with low user engagement. Future mHealth interventions should focus on ways to engage those with low interest. |
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| ISSN: | 2561-326X |