A mobile technology-based tailored health promotion program for sedentary employees: development and usability study
Abstract Background Prolonged sedentary behavior in workplace settings is associated with increased health risks, including chronic diseases and reduced productivity. While various mobile health (mHealth) interventions exist, most focus on single behaviors such as physical activity (PA) or sedentary...
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BMC
2025-04-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22401-3 |
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| author | Yun-Ping Lin Kwo-Chen Lee Wei-Fen Ma Bei-Syuan Syu Wen-Chun Liao Hui-Ting Yang Shu-Hua Lu OiSaeng Hong |
| author_facet | Yun-Ping Lin Kwo-Chen Lee Wei-Fen Ma Bei-Syuan Syu Wen-Chun Liao Hui-Ting Yang Shu-Hua Lu OiSaeng Hong |
| author_sort | Yun-Ping Lin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Prolonged sedentary behavior in workplace settings is associated with increased health risks, including chronic diseases and reduced productivity. While various mobile health (mHealth) interventions exist, most focus on single behaviors such as physical activity (PA) or sedentary time, with limited solutions integrating diet, PA, and sedentary behavior for sedentary employees. Objective This study aimed to develop Simple Health, an evidence- and theory-based mHealth web app designed to promote healthy eating, increase PA, and reduce sedentary time among sedentary employees. The study also evaluated the app’s usability. Methods The study followed a two-phase approach. In Phase 1, Simple Health was developed by a multidisciplinary team using social cognitive theory and the ecological model as theoretical foundations. Behavior change techniques such as goal-setting, self-monitoring, and personalized feedback were incorporated. In Phase 2, usability testing was conducted with eight sedentary employees. Participants used Simple Health for five days and completed the mHealth app usability questionnaire (MAUQ) to assess ease of use, interface satisfaction, and perceived usefulness. Open-ended feedback was also collected to identify areas for improvement. Results Most participants (87.5%) found Simple Health easy to use, with usability scores indicating favorable responses across ease of use (mean: 2.20/7), interface satisfaction (mean: 1.91/7), and usefulness (mean: 1.98/7). Participants valued the simplicity of behavior logging and the actionability of personalized advice. Suggestions for improvement included increasing goal-setting flexibility and refining navigation to enhance user experience. Conclusions The development and usability evaluation of Simple Health demonstrate its potential as a workplace mHealth intervention that integrates PA promotion, sedentary behavior reduction, and dietary tracking. While usability feedback was generally positive, refinements such as improved navigation and enhanced goal-setting flexibility could further optimize engagement. Future iterations should explore automatic syncing with wearable devices and expanded implementation in workplace wellness programs to assess long-term adoption and effectiveness. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c1523c5dc22f4eea963f4ec3986df9f3 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-c1523c5dc22f4eea963f4ec3986df9f32025-08-20T02:27:13ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582025-04-0125111710.1186/s12889-025-22401-3A mobile technology-based tailored health promotion program for sedentary employees: development and usability studyYun-Ping Lin0Kwo-Chen Lee1Wei-Fen Ma2Bei-Syuan Syu3Wen-Chun Liao4Hui-Ting Yang5Shu-Hua Lu6OiSaeng Hong7School of Nursing, China Medical UniversitySchool of Nursing, China Medical UniversitySchool of Nursing, China Medical UniversitySchool of Nursing, China Medical UniversitySchool of Nursing, China Medical UniversitySchool of Food Safety, Taipei Medical UniversitySchool of Nursing, China Medical UniversitySchool of Nursing, University of California San FranciscoAbstract Background Prolonged sedentary behavior in workplace settings is associated with increased health risks, including chronic diseases and reduced productivity. While various mobile health (mHealth) interventions exist, most focus on single behaviors such as physical activity (PA) or sedentary time, with limited solutions integrating diet, PA, and sedentary behavior for sedentary employees. Objective This study aimed to develop Simple Health, an evidence- and theory-based mHealth web app designed to promote healthy eating, increase PA, and reduce sedentary time among sedentary employees. The study also evaluated the app’s usability. Methods The study followed a two-phase approach. In Phase 1, Simple Health was developed by a multidisciplinary team using social cognitive theory and the ecological model as theoretical foundations. Behavior change techniques such as goal-setting, self-monitoring, and personalized feedback were incorporated. In Phase 2, usability testing was conducted with eight sedentary employees. Participants used Simple Health for five days and completed the mHealth app usability questionnaire (MAUQ) to assess ease of use, interface satisfaction, and perceived usefulness. Open-ended feedback was also collected to identify areas for improvement. Results Most participants (87.5%) found Simple Health easy to use, with usability scores indicating favorable responses across ease of use (mean: 2.20/7), interface satisfaction (mean: 1.91/7), and usefulness (mean: 1.98/7). Participants valued the simplicity of behavior logging and the actionability of personalized advice. Suggestions for improvement included increasing goal-setting flexibility and refining navigation to enhance user experience. Conclusions The development and usability evaluation of Simple Health demonstrate its potential as a workplace mHealth intervention that integrates PA promotion, sedentary behavior reduction, and dietary tracking. While usability feedback was generally positive, refinements such as improved navigation and enhanced goal-setting flexibility could further optimize engagement. Future iterations should explore automatic syncing with wearable devices and expanded implementation in workplace wellness programs to assess long-term adoption and effectiveness.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22401-3Mobile healthUsability studySedentary behaviorPhysical activityHealthy dietWorkplace wellness |
| spellingShingle | Yun-Ping Lin Kwo-Chen Lee Wei-Fen Ma Bei-Syuan Syu Wen-Chun Liao Hui-Ting Yang Shu-Hua Lu OiSaeng Hong A mobile technology-based tailored health promotion program for sedentary employees: development and usability study BMC Public Health Mobile health Usability study Sedentary behavior Physical activity Healthy diet Workplace wellness |
| title | A mobile technology-based tailored health promotion program for sedentary employees: development and usability study |
| title_full | A mobile technology-based tailored health promotion program for sedentary employees: development and usability study |
| title_fullStr | A mobile technology-based tailored health promotion program for sedentary employees: development and usability study |
| title_full_unstemmed | A mobile technology-based tailored health promotion program for sedentary employees: development and usability study |
| title_short | A mobile technology-based tailored health promotion program for sedentary employees: development and usability study |
| title_sort | mobile technology based tailored health promotion program for sedentary employees development and usability study |
| topic | Mobile health Usability study Sedentary behavior Physical activity Healthy diet Workplace wellness |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22401-3 |
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