Health-Related Goals of Digital Prevention and Health Promotion in Families

Study aim There is an increase in digital technologies to support health promotion. The majority of offerings is aimed at the individual but are less adapted to social life constellations such as families. The goal of this is study was to highlight the need and the requirements for an addressee-oriented app development. This was to be achieved by determining the initial situation and health goals of the surveyed families in the fields of exercise, nutrition and relaxation, and identifying points of intersection of the family members for a health app. Methods The online survey was conducted with n=1008 parents (o 48 years, 59% female, 39.3% male, 1.7% diverse) on health status as well as exercise, nutrition and relaxation, smartphone use, app features and gamification. Quantitative data analysis (frequency analyses, Chi2 test, factor analysis, and single-factor analysis of variance) was performed using IBM SPSS Analytics (25; Armonk, NewYork). Results The majority of those surveyed considered their state of health to be good. The minority met the WHO reference values for physical activity and nutrition. In addition, the respondents were exposed to a high level of stress with simultaneously low coping skills. The identified target areas were active relaxation measures, nutrition, general competence, physical activity, nature activities and sports-recreation opportunities. Significant differences were found in age, in the active relaxation measures [F2=3.367; p=0.035] and sports-recreation opportunities [F2=7.480; p=0.001]. Conclusion The study reveals intersections of families' content for a behavior change process with digital support. The interest in individual offers differs between the age groups of the children surveyed. Further research should identify health app usage preferences in families and in different family constellations as well as a family-friendly approach.

Automated summary

The majority of digital technologies for health promotion are designed for individuals, with limited adaptation to social life constellations such as families. This study aimed to identify the needs and requirements for an audience-oriented app development in the context of families. Through an online survey with 1008 parents, the researchers assessed the health status, exercise, nutrition, relaxation, smartphone use, app features, and gamification preferences. The results revealed that most participants considered their health to be good, but only a minority met the recommended levels of physical activity and nutrition. The identified target areas for a health app in families included active relaxation measures, nutrition, general competence, physical activity, nature activities, and sports-recreation opportunities. The study concluded that there is a need for digital support in behavior change processes within families, and future research should explore usage preferences for health apps in different family constellations.