JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

As part of a strategy supporting lifelong health promotion and disease prevention, Santé publique France studied the methodology for building a social marketing scheme that includes a digital intervention targeting middle-aged adults, specifically socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. The digital intervention aims to encourage people aged 40–55 to care for their health in the short and medium term by taking small actions in relation to eight health determinants: nutrition, physical activity, smoking, alcohol, stress, cognitive health, sleep and environmental health. In the long term, the intervention is intended to contribute to preventing frailty and reducing the burden of multi-morbidities in older age, particularly in lower socio-economic populations.

Objective:

This article describes an assessment protocol to measure behaviour changes among registered users of the future website. The protocol aims to assess the impact of the website based on the small actions it triggers in relation to the different health determinants. Specifically, it is intended to evaluate the website’s performance in terms of the following objectives: a) to engage a specific population, b) to trigger behaviour change, c) to raise awareness of a multifactorial approach to health, d) to encourage user interaction with the website’s resources.

Methods:

The methodology for the assessment protocol was based on clinical assessments then developed alongside the website according to the functionalities offered to registered users in their personalised space. The design of the assessment tools drew on the logic models for the digital intervention and their consistency for digital applications was verified. The target audience was clearly defined from the outset.

Results:

The protocol sets out a three-step assessment, either continuous or in waves: upon user registration (T0), after 3 weeks of use (T1) and after 10 weeks of use (T2, end of assessment). The users included in the assessment are divided into two groups (people who are socio-economically disadvantaged and those who are not) to characterise the differences and make corrections. The protocol uses a mixed assessment approach based on website traffic and user login data. The assessment documents specific and identifiable behaviour changes by monitoring the same individuals from T0 to T2, by using their verbatim comments to classify them into profiles, and through semi-structured individual interviews with a sample of registered users.

Conclusions:

We confirmed that defining the assessment process early is crucial when creating a digital intervention. The assessment protocol consolidated the choice of assumptions used within the logic model, and helped to steer the digital intervention towards action while reducing the burden of information. The suitability of the assessment protocol remains to be evaluated.