A weight management tool for Latina women

Obesity disproportionately affects Latina women, but few targeted, technology-assisted interventions that incorporate tailored health information exist for this population. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) uses an online weight management tool (MOVE!23) which is publicly available, but was not designed for use in non-VHA populations. Katrina and colleagues conducted a qualitative study to determine how interactions between the tool and other contextual elements impacted task performance when the target Latina users interacted with MOVE!23. They determined that the ability of participants to successfully use the tool was influenced by the interaction of individual characteristics with those of the tool and other contextual factors. We identified both tool-specific and context-related changes that could overcome barriers to the use of MOVE!23 among Latinas. Several general considerations for the design of eHealth tools are noted.

Adapting a weight management tool for Latina women: a usability study of the Veteran Health Administration’s MOVE!23 tool. Perez HR, Nick MW, Mateo KF, Squires A, Sherman SE, Kalet A, Jay M. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2016 Oct 5;16(1):128.