Perceptions about smartphone-based interventions to promote physical activity in inactive adults with knee pain - A qualitative study.
Nirali Shah, Belinda Borrelli, Deepak Kumar
PMID 37873670WHAT IT FOUND
Inactive adults with knee pain preferred smartphone apps that offer personalized goal setting, mood-based exercise plans, and direct clinician contact.
They disliked peer competition, virtual badges, and constant reminders. Security concerns and poor usability were major barriers to engagement.
Key findings
01Participants valued features that allowed for individualized goal setting that accounted for their specific comorbidities, mood, and pain levels.
02All participants desired communication with a clinician or physical therapist for accountability, rather than relying on peer-to-peer support or buddy systems.
03Gamification features like badges and competition were largely rejected, with some participants finding them childish or demotivating due to age and social comparison concerns.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study only included participants who already owned a smartphone and could walk for 20 minutes without assistance, so findings do not apply to those with severe mobility limitations or no digital access. Physical inactivity was determined by self-report, which may have overestimated activity levels compared to objective measures. The sample was highly educated (80% with graduate degrees) and racially diverse but urban, which may not reflect the broader population of people with knee osteoarthritis. Participants had limited prior experience with health apps, so their perceptions may change with exposure.
Declared interests
The authors report no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these preferences reflect evidence that smartphone interventions improve clinical outcomes. This study describes user perceptions of a proposed app, not the efficacy of the app itself. Additionally, the sample consisted of highly educated adults who already owned smartphones, so these findings may not generalize to patients with lower digital literacy or greater physical disability.