Study of behavior-related digital dieting apps finds different effects of persuasion-related features
The booming smartphone industry has spawned an enormous market in health-related mobile phone applications, with apps related to dieting making up about 12% of the market. The apps use persuasive systems design, including direct and indirect routes that persuade users to change their behavior.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, Hofstra University, and UC Irvine examined two distinct features of diet-related smartphone apps. The study, published in the International Journal of Information Management, found these features yielded different outcomes. Photo-informed expert feedback, which provided personalized advice from a dietitian, boosted app usage, slowed disengagement, and improved meal recording without affecting meal balance.
This suggests the feature may be effective for users seeking authoritative guidance, even if it doesn't immediately improve dietary balance. Conversely, photo-based peer observation, featuring users observing others' shared meal posts, decreased engagement—particularly among those with less healthy eating habits—and didn't impact food choices.
The findings imply that certain individuals may be discouraged by the generally healthy norms of a peer-sharing environment. While the study provides valuable insights into the causal impacts of these persuasion strategies, the researchers note its limitations, including the asymmetry of the examined features, the predominantly young, health-conscious US sample, and the age of the data collected in 2014.
Despite these limitations, the findings may still inform the design of responsible digital health interventions relevant to current efforts to improve public health.
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