Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Aug 13, 2021
Date Accepted: Sep 26, 2021
Date Submitted to PubMed: Sep 28, 2021
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Usability Testing of a Technology-Based Bystander Bullying Intervention for Middle School Students in Rural, Low-Income Communities: A Mixed-Methods Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Students who are targets of bullying and who witnessing bullying as bystanders are at high risk for negative mental health outcomes including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Bystander training is essential to reduce both bullying and the negative associated consequences for targets and bystanders. Resources necessary for program delivery, however, pose significant implementation barriers to schools, particularly those in rural, low-income communities. Technology-based programs can reduce health disparities for student in these communities through a cost-effective, easy to disseminate programming.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to conduct usability testing of a prototype of a bystander bullying web app (STAC-T) as an initial step in the development of a the full-scale STAC-T intervention. Objectives included assessing the usability and acceptability of the STAC-T prototype; understanding school needs and barriers to program implementation, and assessing differences in usability between school personnel and students.
Methods:
A sample of 16 participants including school personnel and students recruited from three middle schools in rural, low-income communities completed usability testing followed by a qualitative interview. Descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, and consensual qualitative research (CQR) were used to assess usability and program satisfaction and to extract themes related to acceptability, feasibility, needs, barriers, and feedback for intervention development.
Results:
Usability testing indicated the app was easy to use, acceptable, and feasible. Both school personnel (M = 89.6, SD = 5.1) and students (M = 91.8, SD = 7.0) rated the app well above the standard cutoff score for above average usability (i.e., 68.0) and both school personnel (M = 5.83, SD = 0.41) and students (M = 6.10, SD = 0.57) gave the app high user-friendliness ratings (0-7 scale, with 7 high user-friendliness). Overall ratings also suggested school personnel and students were satisfied with the program. Among school personnel, 100% said they would recommend the program to others and 16.7%, 66.7%, and 16.7% rated the program as 3, 4, and 5 stars, respectively. Among students, 80% said they would recommend the program to others and 60% and 40% rated the program as 4 stars and 5 stars, respectively. Qualitative data revealed that both school personnel and students found the STAC-T app was useful, user-friendly, and relevant, while providing feedback related to the importance of virtual interaction. Data from school personnel also indicated positive perceptions regarding program feasibility and probability of program adoption, with the most significant barrier being cost, suggesting the importance of considering the financial resources available to schools in rural, low-income communities when setting the price point for the full-scale STAC-T intervention.
Conclusions:
This study provides support for the development of the full-scale development of the STAC-T app and provides key information for revision to enhance used engagement. Clinical Trial: This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier NCT04681495).
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