Abstract
BackgroundIndoor air pollution is a well-known risk factor that triggers and exacerbates asthma, the most common pediatric chronic disease. Using a mobile app to monitor indoor air quality could be promising in engaging children in keeping their indoor air quality clean and healthy as secondary environmental prevention for asthma management. However, no app is available to allow children to monitor, assess, and improve their indoor air quality.ObjectiveThis study aims to design a mobile app that encourages children to monitor indoor air quality and track their asthma conditions through a user-centered, iterative design approach.MethodsWe reviewed existing apps for indoor air quality monitoring or asthma management for children and conducted two sets of semistructured interviews with 12 children with asthma. We then iteratively created prototypes and evaluated and revised them.ResultsParticipants raised a series of outstanding questions on the prototype features and content that described their needs and perspectives, which informed the final designs. Following the identified requirements and recommendations, we developed two versions of the app: AirBuddy for presenting concrete information for indoor air quality and AirPet for gamifying the practice of monitoring indoor air quality.ConclusionsBy following an iterative, user-centered design process, we developed two versions of an app to encourage children with asthma to monitor indoor air quality and track their asthma condition. The user-centered design approach revealed two crucial aspects that require deeper consideration when creating a child-friendly app, including balancing brevity and expressivity and considering the longitudinal effects of gamification. As a next step, we plan to conduct a longitudinal deployment study to evaluate the real-world effects of our apps.
Highlights
Asthma is the most common pediatric chronic disease, characterized by recurrent attacks of breathlessness and wheezing
We reviewed existing apps for indoor air quality monitoring or asthma management for children and conducted two sets of semistructured interviews with 12 children with asthma
By following an iterative, user-centered design process, we developed two versions of an app to encourage children with asthma to monitor indoor air quality and track their asthma condition
Summary
Background Asthma is the most common pediatric chronic disease, characterized by recurrent attacks of breathlessness and wheezing. Among various environmental factors that contribute to excessive asthma morbidity, exposures to air pollutants are a crucial contributor https://formative.jmir.org/2021/9/e27447 XSLFO RenderX. It is important to monitor indoor air quality (IAQ) for asthma management [9]. Childhood asthma management is challenging because it requires understanding the causes of triggers and avoiding them, with triggers being both multifactorial and unique to each individual [10]. It is difficult for doctors and parents to monitor the health of children with asthma simultaneously with environmental triggers. Indoor air pollution is a well-known risk factor that triggers and exacerbates asthma, the most common pediatric chronic disease. No app is available to allow children to monitor, assess, and improve their indoor air quality
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
