JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Digital well-being support tools can offer adolescents tailored interventions embedded in their digital environments. However, there is a lack of high-quality, evidence-based digital interventions specifically designed for young people's well-being needs through participatory processes. Wellby is a mobile app and wearable device co-created with Irish secondary school students to support stress management and overall well-being.

Objective:

This study aimed to evaluate the acceptability and usability of the co-created Wellby system using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) focusing on ease of use, perceived usefulness, and behavioral intention among Irish secondary school students.

Methods:

A mixed-methods acceptability and usability study was conducted with Irish secondary school students (n=43) across three schools: two mainstream secondary schools and one Youthreach Centre for early school leavers. Students accessed the Wellby mobile app for 8 weeks and received the custom wearable device for the final 4 weeks (April-May 2024). Wellby included mood tracking, to-do lists, educational resources, text-based health coaching, and heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback with guided breathing exercises. Acceptability and usability were evaluated using the user version of the Mobile App Rating Scale (uMARS), structured focus groups, and app engagement analytics. Secondary measures included baseline well-being questionnaires (Perceived Stress Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, EPOCH Measure of Adolescent Well-being).

Results:

Among survey respondents (n=29), uMARS subscale scores were high: information quality (mean 4.2/5.0), functionality (4.1/5.0), and aesthetics (4.1/5.0). The perceived impact subscale showed highest scores for well-being awareness (3.8/5.0) and help-seeking intention (3.9/5.0). Of students who participated in prior co-design sessions (n=24), 88% felt the wearable and 85% felt the app aligned with their co-design feedback. App engagement data revealed the wearable tab was most accessed (38% of interactions), followed by the home (25%), resources (20%), and coaching (16%) tabs. Focus group feedback highlighted the mood tracker as the most valued feature and identified technical improvements, including better battery life, enhanced Bluetooth connectivity, and more personalization options.

Conclusions:

This study demonstrates that co-created digital well-being tools can achieve high acceptability and usability when designed with Irish secondary school students. Applying TAM effectively captured student experience through mixed-methods feedback. Students particularly valued self-tracking and personalization features over coaching or educational features. These findings highlight the importance of aligning digital technologies with adolescents’ needs and preferences, such as features that encourage increased autonomy and identity-formation. Future iterations of Wellby should address the technical limitations while continuing the involvement of students to adapt to their developmental needs and maintain high acceptability. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06294210