What makes people decide to visit and use an internet‐delivered behavior‐change intervention?

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore adults' cognitive deliberations in deciding to visit an internet intervention, to extend the visit to use and process the intervention's content, and to revisit the intervention.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative study was conducted consisting of five focus group interviews (n = 29, 25‐69 years). The interview transcriptions were subjected to systematic content analysis.FindingsThe results indicate that being motivated to change a health behavior and curiosity about the content were important factors in the decision to visit an internet intervention. To extend a visit, mainly intervention aspects were considered such as visual appeal, the number of questions needed to complete within the program, and the existence of a registration procedure. To induce revisits, regularly updated content and the possibility to monitor behavior change were important.Practical implicationsThese findings suggest that activities to promote use of internet interventions need to be directed at motivating adults to think about potential behavior change. Furthermore, intervention aspects need to meet various criteria, such as a professional appearance, concise and easy to understand texts and an explanation for the use of a registration procedure.Originality/valueThe results of this explorative study can be used as a basis for further studies aimed at improving dissemination and use of internet‐delivered behavior change interventions.