Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Human Factors
Date Submitted: Aug 27, 2024
Date Accepted: Aug 12, 2025
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited.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.
How to optimize engagement in mHealth interventions? A quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the use and user experience of a preconception lifestyle app for couples undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF)
ABSTRACT
Background:
Mobile applications (apps) are a promising format to improve healthy lifestyle behavior in people with infertility. However, sufficient engagement with mHealth apps is crucial to obtain health effects/influence health outcomes and identifying features to create even more effective interventions is urgently needed.
Objective:
Process evaluation focusing on the use and user experience of the PreLiFe-app, a mobile lifestyle application for couples undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Methods:
A mixed methods approach was used in heterosexual couples with infertility, undergoing IVF. An objective quantitative study, using a tracking-based system, assessed the actual use of the PreLiFe-app over time, in relation to partners’ use, and in relation to the specific fertility treatment. A subjective quantitative study, using online questionnaires, assessed the acceptability and the experienced partner support while using the PreLiFe-app. A subjective qualitative study, using semi-structured interviews, evaluated in-depth the user experiences with the PreLiFe-app.
Results:
106 couples used the PreLiFe-app from 2 days to 365 days. Overall use was low, 20 (19%) men and 52 (49%) women used all the modules of the PreLiFe-app. Higher app use was observed when a partner uses the app as well, and during fertility treatment. Average acceptability score was 6/10 and patients felled supported by their partner while using the app. Semi-structured interviews in 6 patients indicated that the PreLiFe-app was easy to use.
Conclusions:
Our findings showed good acceptability and user experiences, but low actual objective use of a preconception lifestyle app for couples undergoing IVF. To increase use and engagement of such apps, future studies should further focus on personalization and interaction with partners, health care providers and other patient data systems. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03790449
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