Fan Health Network: Feasibility, Acceptability and Preliminary Effects of a Healthy Lifestyle Behavior App to Improve University Faculty and Staff Well-being

Abstract

Background: Mobile health apps (mhealth) are designed to improve the health of patients through multiple functionalities, such as access to medical care services, wearable health tracking devices, personal digital assistants (PDA) and other portable and wearable network-capable gadgets.
Aim: The purpose of this pilot study was to test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of the Fan Health Network (FHN) healthy lifestyle behavior application (app) on university faculty and staff’s healthy lifestyle beliefs, healthy lifestyle behaviors, perceived stress and health outcomes.
Methods: A pre-experimental, one group pre-posttest design was used. Valid and reliable measures were used to assess healthy lifestyle beliefs, healthy behaviors, and perceived stress.
Results: Healthy behaviors and perceived stress significantly improved over the intervention time frame. Although not statistically significant, small improvements were seen in body mass index and waist circumference at the three month follow-up. Feasibility and acceptability were considered average on app usefulness, helpfulness, and motivational components.
Conclusion: The FHN app has potential as a key wellness intervention strategy for individual health promotion as well as for organizations, such as the workplace, to improve population health outcomes.