Microlearning mApp to Improve Long Term Health Behaviours: Design and Test of Multi-Channel Service Mix

Work place health support interventions are relevant: to support our aging work force and to help reduce the private and social burdens of preventable disease. Moreover, healthy living has become a priority in Dutch society. Previous research showed that health apps should offer enough newness and relevance each time they are used. Otherwise the ‘eHealth law of attrition’ applies: 90% of users are lost prematurely. Luuk P.A. Simons, Florian Foerster, Peter A. Bruck, Luvai Motiwalla, Catholijn M. Jonker 2 We developed a hybrid health support solution that uses a mix of electronic and physical support services for improving health behaviours, including a mobile microlearning health quiz. This solution was tested in a multiple-case study at three work sites. The research question was whether a mobile health quiz can provide added value for users within a hybrid service mix and whether it promotes long term health readiness (awareness, motivation, plans and behaviours)? We found that both the mobile health quiz and the overall hybrid solution contributed to health readiness and health behaviour improvements. Users indicated that the microlearning health quiz courses provided new and relevant information. We also observed relatively high utilization rates of the health quiz. Participants indicated that health behaviour insights were given that were directly applicable and that fitted well within the overall service mix. Moreover, even after 10 months they indicated to still have increased health awareness, -motivation and -behaviours (food, physical activity, mental recuperation). A design analysis is conducted regarding service mix efficacy; the mobile microlearning health quiz helped fulfil key requirements for designing ICT-enabled lifestyle interventions, largely in the way it was anticipated.