JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Play Kindly is a gamified animated app designed to address common behavioural problems in childhood. It builds on previous research which trialled a parenting CD Rom, ‘Play Nicely’, with Samoan parents. Results from this research informed the development of the gamified parenting app, Play Kindly for New Zealand parents. The interface is designed to appeal to Pacific peoples, a population group with a higher risk of behavioural problems in childhood and later life.

Objective:

To explore the opinions of parents and professionals about the acceptability, usability, and content of Play Kindly.

Methods:

We used qualitative and Pacific research methodologies. Five focus groups with 45 parents, and 12 individual interviews with professionals, were conducted. The five focus groups consisted of two pan-Pacific groups, one Māori, one open category, and a group of young Pacific adults or prospective parents. The professionals were from a range of disciplines and the majority had expertise in early childhood, parenting interventions, or research in this field.

Results:

Play Kindly was considered a good concept with the potential to assist parents of children with everyday behavioural problems. It appealed to New Zealand parents of all ethnicities; however, there was some disagreement about how culturally specific the app should be. The scenarios were thought to be realistic and down to earth, although, it was suggested that more thought be given in communicating parenting strategies in a more light hearted and non-judgemental way. There were limitations as to how much content (text) the app could hold without losing its function as a game. This made it difficult to communicate strategies as comprehensively as professionals thought necessary, creating some reservation. A range of issues with usability and gamification techniques were highlighted. Professionals suggested narrowing the focus of the app to deliver two important parenting messages. The two messages thought most important were the importance of engaging in play with the child and the use of positive reinforcement in rewarding prosocial behaviour. Parents recalled the main messages that had been repeated in every scenario.

Conclusions:

Play Kindly is the first culturally adapted parenting app of its kind designed for Pacific parents and other New Zealanders with children aged 2-5 years. Using gamification to communicate positive parenting practices is possible but careful attention is needed to ensure information delivered builds on current evidence to support parenting practices and does not discourage parents. The results of this study will guide improvement of the app prior to testing it in an open trial.