TY  - JOUR
AU  - Wittmar, Silke
AU  - Frankenstein, Tom
AU  - Timm, Vincent
AU  - Frei, Peter
AU  - Kurpiers, Nicolas
AU  - Wölwer, Stefan
AU  - Schäfer, Axel Georg Meender
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/3/28
TI  - User Experience With a Personalized mHealth Service for Physical Activity Promotion in University Students: Mixed Methods Study
JO  - JMIR Form Res
SP  - e64384
VL  - 9
KW  - usability testing
KW  - health promotion
KW  - exercise
KW  - smartphone app
KW  - mHealth
KW  - physical activity
KW  - user experience
KW  - user
KW  - university student
KW  - undergraduate
KW  - college
KW  - student
KW  - mixed methods
KW  - physical fitness
KW  - digital intervention
KW  - mobile health
KW  - promote
KW  - engagement
KW  - mobile phone
AB  - Background: Regular physical activity (PA) is known to offer substantial health benefits, including improved physical fitness, reduced risk of disease, enhanced psychological well-being, and better cognitive performance. Despite these benefits, many university students fail to meet recommended PA levels, risking long-term health consequences. Objective: This study evaluated the user experience (UX) of futur.move, a digital intervention aimed at promoting PA among university students. The service delivers personalized, evidence-based content to foster sustained engagement in PA. Methods: A mixed methods approach was used to evaluate the prototype of futur.move. UX assessments included on-site and online user tests, standardized questionnaires, and online focus groups. A total of 142 university students participated, with 23 joining additional focus groups. Each participant tested the service for 30 minutes. Quantitative data were collected using the User Experience Questionnaire and analyzed descriptively, followed by correlation analysis with variables such as PA level, age, gender, and experience with PA apps. Qualitative insights were gathered from transcribed focus group discussions and analyzed using content-structuring, qualitative content analysis. Quantitative findings were cross-validated with qualitative data. Results: The UX received positive ratings across 4 User Experience Questionnaire scales (range –3 to +3; higher numbers indicate positive UX): attractiveness (median 1.67, IQR 1.04-2.17), perspicuity (median 1.5, IQR 0.5-2), stimulation (median 1.5, IQR 1-2), and novelty (median 1.25, IQR 0.5-2). Weak correlations were found between adherence to World Health Organization guidelines for PA and the perspicuity subscale (η=0.232, P=.04), and between age and the perspicuity (Kendall τb=0.132, P=.03) and stimulation subscales (Kendall τb=0.144, P=.02), and a moderate correlation was found between gender and the novelty subscale (η=0.363, P=.004). Critical feedback from focus group discussions highlighted issues with manual data entry. Qualitative findings aligned with the quantitative results, emphasizing students’ appreciation for the personalized, diverse content and social networking features of futur.move. Conclusions: futur.move demonstrates favorable UX and aligns with student needs, particularly through its personalized content and social features. Improvements should focus on reducing manual data entry and enhancing feature clarity, particularly for the features “your condition” and “goal setting.” While correlations between UX ratings and demographic variables were weak to moderate, they warrant further investigation to better address the diverse target audience. The feedback from the students serves as a basis for further adapting the service to their needs and expectations. Future work will involve coding an advanced prototype and conducting a longitudinal study to assess its impact on PA behavior and sustained engagement. 
SN  - 2561-326X
UR  - https://formative.jmir.org/2025/1/e64384
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/64384
DO  - 10.2196/64384
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/64384
ER  -