Tailoring digital apps to support physical activity: active ageing in Brazil and Holland

Abstract

Despite physical activity being one of the determinants of healthy aging, older people tend to become less active over the years. In this way, maintaining physical activity levels during the life course is a motivational challenge. Digital tools have been used to change this pattern, such as applications to support physical activity, but there are lack of in-depth research on users' experiences to build a design based on the diversity of preference of the target audience, especially considering older users or non-users of information and communication technologies. Therefore, this scientific initiation study will try to explore the guidelines to customize an application for the practice of physical activity for vulnerable older persons, as well as the gamification strategies, interests and problems that prevent the use of the applications available in the market. Objective: The present study seeks to identify elements for customization of a user-centered design application, based on the preferences and experience of users over 40 years of age in a region of high social vulnerability. Method: This qualitative focus group+ study will be conducted for development of a cross-cultural motivational application between Brazil and the Netherlands to practice physical activities in urban environments. Twenty four volunteers older than 40 years old residents in a low-income area in Brazil will be divided into focus groups of active and insufficiently active and subgroups of digital engagement. After a baseline and grouping assessment, volunteers will participate in a workshop on behavior change for physical activity in aging and digital application support with PacerR application experience. Afterwards, the volunteers will participate in a re-design session, proposing a new application considering changes in Pacer. The focus group transcripts and co-design proposals will be analyzed through thematic analysis and compared with those collected in the Netherlands (from survey) and Santos-BR (interviews and focus group+ with PacerR users). They will contribute to the choice of content, functionalities and application interface for physical activities in urban environments (PAUL). This will be developed by the Dutch group. Expected results: we aim not only to contribute to the development of an accessible and transcultural version of a motivational application for the practice of physical activity in urban environments - PAUL - adapted to the profile of vulnerable Brazilian older adults, but also to provide to the universe of Web Engineering a series of user-centered design considerations for older users. These results will contribute to the international partnership already signed in the FAPESP project Active urban life driven by digital games. (nwo-sia 2016) Process: 16 / 50249-3 as well as with the area through the dissemination in journal paper and presentation in conferences.