Real-time social support through a mobile virtual community to improve healthy behavior in overweight and sedentary adults: a focus group analysis

• Published in: Journal of medical Internet research Vol. 13; no. 3; p. e49
• Main Authors: Fukuoka, Yoshimi, Kamitani, Emiko, Bonnet, Kemberlee, Lindgren, Teri
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Canada Gunther Eysenbach MD MPH, Associate Professor 01.07.2011; Gunther Eysenbach; JMIR Publications
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Aged; Blood pressure; Body Mass Index; Body Weight; Cell Phone - instrumentation; Cellular telephones; Communications technology; Computer Software; Constraints; Delayed; Demographics; Diabetes; Diet; Exercise; Female; Focus Groups; Group psychotherapy; Health Behavior; Health care; Health Education - methods; Health Professions; Health Promotion - methods; Humans; Interviews; Leisure; Life Style; Lifestyle; Lifestyles; Male; Medical personnel; Middle Aged; Mobile phones; Motivation; Multimedia; Obesity; Obesity - prevention & control; Original Paper; Overweight; Patient Compliance; Personal Satisfaction; Physical activity; Physical Fitness; Qualitative research; Racial groups; Sedentary; Sedentary behavior; Selfmonitoring; Social Support; Time use; Type 2 diabetes mellitus; Weight control; United States > US
• ISSN: 1438-8871; 1438-8871
• DOI: 10.2196/jmir.1770

The onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus can be prevented or delayed by lifestyle changes. Communication technologies such as a mobile phone can be used as a means of delivering these lifestyle changes. The purposes of this analysis were to explore applicability of potential components of a mobile phone-based healthy lifestyle program and to understand motivators and barriers to continued engagement in a mobile phone healthy lifestyle program. We conducted 6 focus groups (4 female and 2 male groups) in May and June 2010 with 35 focus group participants. The qualitative data were analyzed by 3 researchers using a qualitative description method in an ATLAS.ti software program. Inclusion criteria for enrollment in a focus group were as follows: (1) being aged from 30 to 69 years, (2) speaking and reading English, (3) having a sedentary lifestyle at work or during leisure time (screened by the Brief Physical Activity Survey questionnaire), and (4) having a body mass index (BMI) >25 kg/m(2) (Asian >23 kg/m(2)) based on self-reported weight and height or 5) having a self-reported prediabetic condition. The mean age was 51 (SD 10.6) years; 54% (n = 19) were white; 71% (n = 25) used a mobile phone at least once a week during the last month prior to the study enrollment; and mean BMI was 32.5 (SD 6.5) kg/m(2). In the qualitative analyses, the following 4 major themes and their subthemes emerged: (1) real-time social support (real-time peer support from participants who are similarly engaged in a diet or physical activity program, and professional support from health care providers or a researcher), (2) tailoring of mobile phone programs (3) self-monitoring and motivation, and (4) potential barriers and sustainability of the program (fear of failing, age and mobile technologies, and loss of interest over time). Participants from a wide range of age and racial groups expressed interest in a mobile phone-based lifestyle program. Such a program that incorporates the themes that we identified may be able to help motivate participants to increase their physical activity and to improve their diet.