Dr. Burgermaster presented at the annual SNEB (Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior) Conference in July 2019. Her presentation, titled P28 Qualitative Study: User Experiences with Platano, a Dietary Self-Monitoring App for Underserved Patients with Type 2 Diabetes, focused on understanding user experiences with Platano, a dietary self-monitoring smartphone application designed for patients with Type 2 diabetes in a New York City neighborhood with high levels of health disparity. Platano, based on self-determination theory, allows diabetes patients to self-track their diet and blood glucose via motivationally-tailored user interfaces.
The results of the study revealed five themes in user experiences with Platano:
- Context: External circumstances such as food insecurity and cultural norms were central to participants’ user experience.
- Flexible Tool: Participants used Platano for both self-discovery and accountability, reporting benefits including learning their personal glycemic response to certain foods and maintaining self-discipline in making dietary choices
- Empowerment: Users attributed dietary changes, weight loss, and improved patient-provider communication to Platano.
- Individual characteristics: Nutrition literacy, motivation, and self-efficacy influenced app usage and diet goal adherence.
- In-the-moment barriers: Social pressure influenced app usage and diet goal adherence.
The results suggested that Platano was well-received and viewed as a supporting tool for diabetes self-management among underserved urban adults. Additionally, the results reinforce the need for more comprehensive and personalized solutions to reduce barriers to engaging in dietary behavior change to improve diabetes outcomes.
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