Tailoring digital apps to support active ageing in a low income community

Author(s):Show less -

Castro, Paula Costa ^[1] ; Romano, Lua Bonadio ^[1] ; Frohlich, David ^[2] ; Lorenzi, Lorena Jorge ^[1] ; Campos, Lucas Bueno ^[1] ; Paixao, Andresa ^[1] ; Bet, Patricia ^[3] ; Deutekom, Marije ^[4] ; Krose, Ben ; Dourado, Victor Zuniga ^[5] ; de Oliveira Gomes, Grace Angelica ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed Sao Carlos, DGero, Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Surrey, DWRC, Guildford, Surrey - England

^[3] Programa Posgrad Interunidades Bioengn EESC FMRP, Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

^[4] Inholland Univ, Amsterdam Univ Appl Sci, Holland - Netherlands

^[5] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, DCMH, Santos, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: PLoS One; v. 15, n. 12 DEC 10 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Despite physical activity being one of the determinants of healthy aging, older people tend to become less active over the years. Maintaining physical activity levels during the life course is a motivational challenge. Digital tools have been used to change this pattern, such as smartphone applications to support physical activity; but there is a lack of in-depth research on the diversity of user's experiences, especially considering older users or non-users of information and communication technologies. Objective: Our goal was to identify requirements for designing a mobile app to encourage physical activity in a low-income community population of older people in Brazil (i.e. over 40 years old). Method: We conducted a qualitative focus group study, involving by co-design of a physical activity application (Pacer)(R). Seventeen volunteers were divided into 2 focus groups of physical active and insufficiently active, and 2 further 4 subgroups in each characterised by digital engagement. The following procedures were performed: (i) baseline assessments; (ii) a focus group with physically active older people and a focus group with insufficiently active older people (iii) design activities with both groups to re-design Pacer. Results: Developing physical activity apps for older people should consider the following features: free application, simple interface, motivational messages using audio and visual information, sharing information among users, multimedia input and sharing and user customisation. In particular, we recommend that exercise apps in low-income communities be tailored to our four categories of users differing in baseline physical activity and digital engagement, to match the social and behavioural preferences we discovered. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/19270-1 - Co-design4 Active Ageing: engaging older users in active urban life driven by playful digital games
• Grantee: Lucas Bueno de Campos
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• FAPESP's process: 18/05649-9 - Tailoring digital apps to support physical activity: active ageing in Brazil and Holland
• Grantee: Lua Bonadio Romano
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• FAPESP's process: 16/50249-3 - Playful data-driven active urban living
• Grantee: Victor Zuniga Dourado
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 19/02829-9 - Active urban life driven by playful digital games
• Grantee: Lorena Jorge Lorenzi
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Technical Training Program - Technical Training