Co-designing a just-in-time adaptive mHealth intervention to improve parental support for child physical activity using a no-code app design platform: Development study

Appl Psychol Health Well Being. 2025 Dec;17(6):e70096. doi: 10.1111/aphw.70096.

ABSTRACT

Parental support significantly influences children's physical activity (PA) levels. Just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAIs) delivered through mobile health (mHealth) may provide personalized, dynamic support to parents, though research is limited. 1) Describe the co-design process of a family-based JITAI app designed to help parents support their children's PA, and 2) evaluate the resources required to co-design this app using a "no-code" platform, Pathverse. Following the Integrate, Design, Assess, Share (IDEAS) and Multi-Process Action Control (M-PAC) frameworks, parents of children 8-12 years not meeting PA guidelines participated in semi-structured interviews (Phase 1). Feedback-informed app features, JITAI tailoring strategies, and prototype refinement (Phase 2). Six parents participated in Phase 1 guided by the IDEAS framework, with parental feedback directly shaping the app design. Parents emphasized family-based content, gamification, and diverse PA activities, while barriers (e.g., time, weather) informed JITAI tailoring. The M-PAC framework guided the selection and delivery of behavior change techniques (e.g., self-monitoring, social support). Development required 320 hours over four months, including decision-tree creation (50), uploading dynamic content (70), and testing (80). A family-based JITAI app was co-designed leveraging the M-PAC framework and Pathverse to integrate parental support for PA, laying the groundwork for future testing.

PMID:41319010 | DOI:10.1111/aphw.70096