MoodMover: Development and usability testing of an mHealth physical activity intervention for depression

Background: Physical activity (PA) is recognized as a modifiable lifestyle factor for managing depression. An app-based intervention to promote PA among individuals with depression may be a viable alternative or adjunct to conventional treatments offering increased accessibility. This study aimed to describe the early stages of development and usability testing of a 9-week app-based intervention, MoodMover, specifically designed to promote PA for people with depression. Methods: Development of MoodMover followed the initial stages of the Integrate, Design, Assess, and Share (IDEAS) framework. The development process included: (1) identifying intervention needs and planning; (2) intervention development; and (3) usability testing and refinement. Usability testing employed a mixed-methods formative approach via virtual semi-structured interviews involving goal-oriented tasks and administration of the mHealth App Usability Questionnaire (MAUQ). Results: Drawing on formative research, a multidisciplinary research team developed the intervention guided by the Multi-Process Action Control framework. Nine participants engaged in the usability testing with the MoodMover prototypes receiving an average MAUQ score of 5.79 (SD = 1.04), indicating good to high usability. Necessary modifications were made based on end-users’ feedback. Conclusions: The development of MoodMover, the first theoretically informed app-based PA intervention for individuals with depression, may provide another evidence-based treatment option which has wide reach. The comprehensive usability testing indicated interest in the app and strong perceptions of usability enabling a user-centered approach to refine the app to better align with end-users’ preferences and needs. Testing the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the refined MoodMover is now recommended.