Views of adolescent patients and their families on the use of digital technology to support health behaviour change in young people under the care of a Complications of Excess Weight service (Preprint)

• DOI: 10.2196/preprints.64947
• Publication Date: 2024-08-06T04:42:33Z
• Authors: Emma Alice Webb; Bonnie Teague; Matt Farrar; Victoria Farrar; Dorothy Szinay; Li F Chan; Ken, K Ong; Ben Jackson; Felix Naughton; Jon Wilson; Sydney Wylie; Emma Alice Webb
• Keywords: Digital Health; Behaviour change

<sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> The increasing prevalence of paediatric obesity presents a major challenge for healthcare services. In England, Complications Excess Weight (CEW) clinics provide specialist multidisciplinary care children presenting with co-morbidities severe obesity. Positive treatment outcomes require the young person and their family to make behavioural changes improve child’s health. However, there are many barriers health behaviour change, particularly adolescents. Digital technology could be used enhance support offered by CEW adolescent patients increase likelihood successful but little is known about families’ views this. </sec> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> We aimed explore families on how digital utilised change. <title>METHODS</title> study took participatory design approach. Four focus groups co-design workshops were facilitated cross-disciplinary team clinicians, academics innovators. Participants clinic (aged 10-16 years) adult members. Focus explored people’s priorities, facilitators co-designed ways in which people overcoming these achieve goals. group data analysed using inductive content analysis, findings integrated key workshop outputs. <title>RESULTS</title> 37 individuals (19 adolescents, 18 members) participated across workshops. favour increased use as an adjunct in-person support. was not mentioned participants important aspect Instead, mental health, sleep peer identified domains felt they would most benefit from additional reported that helpful providing this expressed preference able individually tailor person’s needs, including relatable peer-produced content. need both themselves members highlighted, well integrate strategies maintain engagement any technological offering. <title>CONCLUSIONS</title> There clear potential holistic priorities receiving related excess weight. plan basis begin developing innovative approaches high-need group.