A photography-based, social media walking intervention targeting autonomous motivations for physical activity: Semistructured interviews with older women

Authors: ROBERTSON, MICHAEL - University Of Texas Medical Branch; SWARTZ, MARIA - Md Anderson Cancer Center; CHRISTOPHERSON, URSELA - University Of Texas Medical Branch; BENTLEY, JASON - University Of Texas Medical Branch; BASEN-ENGQUIST, KAREN - Md Anderson Cancer Center; Thompson, Deborah - Debbe; VOLPI, ELENA - University Of Texas Medical Branch; LYONS, ELIZABETH - University Of Texas Medical Branch

Submitted to: JMIR Serious Games
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/17/2022
Publication Date: 4/14/2022
Citation: Robertson, M.C., Swartz, M.C., Christopherson, U., Bentley, J.R., Basen-Engquist, K.M., Thompson, D.J., Volpi, E., Lyons, E.J. 2022. A photography-based, social media walking intervention targeting autonomous motivations for physical activity: Semistructured interviews with older women. JMIR Serious Games. 10(2). Article e35511. https://doi.org/10.2196/35511.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2196/35511

Interpretive Summary: Sustained physical activity can help reduce risk of negative health outcomes in older women. However, achieving this goal has been challenging. Understanding what motivates them to engage in physical activity may help provide insight into how to design interventions that promote sustained physical activity. Interviews revealed that playful experiences, value, and acceptability associated with the intervention challenges (i.e., goals) were important motivators for physical activity in a photography-based social media walking game designed specifically for older women. A photography-based social media walking game may be an effective way to help older women engage in sustained physical activity, thus reducing their risk of negative health outcomes.

Technical Abstract: Older adult women are at risk for negative health outcomes that engaging in sustained physical activity can help prevent. However, promoting long-term maintenance of physical activity in this population has proven to be a challenge. Increasing autonomous motivations (i.e., intrinsic, integrated, and identified regulations) for physical activity may facilitate enduring behavior change. Digitally delivered games for health that take a celebratory technology approach, that is, using technology to create new ways to experience valued behaviors and express valued beliefs, may be a useful way to target autonomous motivations for physical activity. Formative research with the target population is needed to design compelling intervention content. The objective of this study is to investigate older adult women's reactions to and thoughts about a photography-based, social media walking game targeting autonomous motivations for physical activity. During an individual semistructured interview, a moderator solicited feedback from 20 older adult women (age range 65-74 years) as part of formative research to develop a social media game featuring weekly walking challenges. The challenges were designed to target autonomous motivations for physical activity. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Two reviewers conducted thematic content analysis on interview transcripts. We identified 3 overarching themes in qualitative data analysis. These reflected the playful experiences, value, and acceptability associated with the intervention challenges. Generally, participants understood what the challenges were asking them to do, proffered appropriate example responses, and indicated that the challenges would be enjoyable. Participants reported that the intervention content afforded many and varied playful experiences (eg, competition, discovery, exploration, expression, fellowship, humor, nurture, sensation). Further, participants indicated that the intervention increased their motivation for physical activity, occasioned meaningful shifts in perspective, increased their knowledge of various topics of interest, provided an opportunity to create valued connection with others, and provided health-related benefits. Participants suggested the intervention emphasize local history, nature, and cultural events. The photography-based, social media walking game with relatively simple game mechanics was well received and judged to be apt to bring about a wide variety of emotive experiences. A clear, geographically specific identity emerged as a key driver of interest for intervention content. Taking a celebratory technology approach holds promise for targeting autonomous motivations for physical activity in older adult women.