Exploring the Acceptance of Just-in-Time Adaptive Lifestyle Support for People With Type 2 Diabetes: Qualitative Acceptability Study
Authors: Hietbrink Eclaire A G , Middelweerd Anouk , d’Hollosy Wendy , Schrijver Laura K , Laverman Gozewijn D , Vollenbroek-Hutten Miriam M R 
Published: February 2025

Background

The management of type 2 diabetes (T2D) requires individuals to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Personalized eHealth interventions can help individuals change their lifestyle behavior. Specifically, just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAIs) offer a promising approach to provide tailored support to encourage healthy behaviors. Low-effort self-reporting via ecological momentary assessment (EMA) can provide insights into individuals’ experiences and environmental factors and thus improve JITAI support, particularly for conditions that cannot be measured by sensors. We developed an EMA-driven JITAI to offer tailored support for various personal and environmental factors influencing healthy behavior in individuals with T2D.

Objective

This study aimed to assess the acceptability of EMA-driven, just-in-time adaptive lifestyle support in individuals with T2D.

Methods

In total, 8 individuals with T2D used the JITAI for 2 weeks. Participants completed daily EMAs about their activity, location, mood, overall condition, weather, and cravings and received tailored support via SMS text messaging. The acceptability of the JITAI was assessed through telephone-conducted, semistructured interviews. Interview topics included the acceptability of the EMA content and prompts, the intervention options, and the overall use of the JITAI. Data were analyzed using a hybrid approach of thematic analysis.

Results

Participants with a mean age of 70.5 (SD 9) years, BMI of 32.1 (SD 5.3) kg/m², and T2D duration of 15.6 (SD 7.7) years had high self-efficacy scores in physical activity (ie, 32) and nutrition (ie, 29) and were mainly initiating or maintaining behavior changes. The identified themes were related to the intervention design, decision points, tailoring variables, intervention options, and mechanisms underlying adherence and retention. Participants provided positive feedback on several aspects of the JITAI, such as the motivating and enjoyable messages that appeared well tailored to some individuals. However, there were notable differences in individual experiences with the JITAI, particularly regarding intervention intensity and the perceived personalization of the EMA and messages. The EMA was perceived as easy to use and low in burden, but participants felt it provided too much of a snapshot and too little context, reducing the perceived tailoring of the intervention options. Challenges with the timing and frequency of prompts and the relevance of some tailoring variables were also observed. While some participants found the support relevant and motivating, others were less inclined to follow the advice. Participants expressed the need for even more personalized support tailored to their specific characteristics and circumstances.

Conclusions

This study showed that an EMA-driven JITAI can provide motivating and tailored support, but more personalization is needed to ensure that the lifestyle support more closely fits each individual’s unique needs. Key areas for improvement include developing more individually tailored interventions, improving assessment methods to balance active and passive data collection, and integrating JITAIs within comprehensive lifestyle interventions.