Testing a User Engagement Model of Motivational Technology for Exercise Behavior and Postpartum Weight Management

Postpartum weight retention is a well-known risk factor associated with various physical and psychological health problems among postpartum women, including depression and long-term obesity. Following the trend of the wide availability of mobile diet and fitness applications and an increasing number of app users, the popularity of this technology for managing personal health records has also increased among postpartum women. However, little evidence has confirmed whether app use can mitigate postpartum weight retention by encouraging app users to engage in exercise. Undergirded by the theoretical approach to designing motivational technology for a desired behavioral outcome, we tested a process model of user engagement to prompt the use of mobile health applications for exercise among postpartum women. An online survey using a Qualtrics panel of 245 postpartum women revealed that engagement with diet and fitness apps positively predicted exercise behavior (i.e., hours and intensity). More specifically, simultaneous physical interaction with and assessment of the app interface (vs. sequential) augmented user engagement. For exercise behavior, only workout intensity, not workout hours, showed a negative relationship with body mass index among postpartum women, indicating that user engagement with the app yielded positive outcomes. Findings suggest that app designers should consider improving the hedonic and social elements of mobile apps to optimize workout intensity among postpartum woman users for healthy weight.