Translating Promoting Factors and Behavior Change Principles into a Blended and Technology-Supported Intervention to Stimulate Physical Activity in Children with Asthma (Foxfit): Design Study

Annette Brons, Katja Braam, Aline Broekema, Annieck Timmerman, Karel Millenaar, Raoul Engelbert, Ben Kröse, Bart Visser

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Background: Children with asthma can decrease the impact of their disease by improving their physical activity (PA). However, health care providers lack interventions for children with asthma that effectively increase their PA levels and achieve behavior change. A technology-supported approach can positively influence PA and physical functioning in children. Objective: The aims of this study were to develop a technology-supported intervention that facilitates health care providers in promoting PA for children (aged 8 to 12 years) with asthma and to systematically describe this developmental process. Methods: Intervention mapping (IM) was applied to develop a blended and technology-supported intervention in cocreation with children with asthma, their parents, and health care providers. In accordance with the IM framework, the following steps were performed: conduct a needs assessment; define the intervention outcome, performance objectives, and change objectives; select theory-based intervention methods and strategies; create components of the intervention and conduct pilot tests; create an implementation plan; and create an evaluation plan. Results: We developed the blended intervention Foxfit that consists of an app with a PA monitor for children (aged 8 to 12 years) with asthma and a web-based dashboard for their health care provider. The intervention focuses on PA in everyday life to improve social participation. Foxfit contains components based on behavior change principles and gamification, including goal setting, rewards, action planning, monitoring, shaping knowledge, a gamified story, personal coaching and feedback, and a tailored approach. An evaluation plan was created to assess the intervention’s usability and feasibility for both children and health care providers. Conclusions: The IM framework was very useful for systematically developing a technology-supported intervention and for describing the translational process from scientific evidence, the needs and wishes of future users, and behavior change principles into this intervention. This has led to the technology-supported intervention Foxfit that facilitates health care providers in promoting PA in children with asthma. The structured description of the development process and functional components shows the way behavior change techniques are incorporated in the intervention.
Original languageEnglish
Article numbere34121
JournalJMIR Formative Research
Volume6
Issue number7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jul 2022
Externally publishedYes

Funding

The authors thank all the children, parents, and health care providers who participated in this study. They also thank Rutger van Teutem for his helpful input regarding the design of the intervention and Gainplay Studio for their valuable contribution to the development of the intervention. This study is part of the research project SIMBA, which is funded by the directing body SIA—a part of the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research (Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek)—under grant HW/Raak PUB 03.047.

FundersFunder number
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk OnderzoekHW/Raak PUB 03.047

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