title: Guidelines for a cancer prevention smartphone application: A mixed-methods study.
abstract: This study sought to explore the views and experiences of healthy young adults concerning the fundamental features of a cancer prevention smartphone app that seeks behaviour change.
  
  
  
  Three focus groups were conducted with 16 healthy young adults that explored prior experiences, points of view and opinions about currently available health-related smartphone apps. Then, an online questionnaire was designed and applied to a larger sample of healthy young adults. Focus group and online questionnaire data were analysed and confronted.
  
  
  
  Study results identified behaviour tracking, goal setting, tailored information and use of reminders as the most desired features in a cancer prevention app. Participants highlighted the importance of privacy and were reluctant to share personal health information with other users. The results also point out important dimensions to be considered for long-term use of health promotion apps related with usability and perceived usefulness. Participants didn't consider gamification features as important dimensions for long-term use of apps.
  
  
  
  This study allowed the definition of a guideline set for the development of a cancer prevention app.
authors: i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; Ipatimup - Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto, Portugal; Departamento de Comunicação e Arte, Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address: nribeiro@ipatimup.pt.
authors: Nuno
authors: N
authors: Ribeiro
authors: RECI - Research in Education and Community Intervention, Escola Superior de Saúde Jean Piaget de Vila Nova de Gaia - Instituto Piaget, Portugal.
authors: Luís
authors: L
authors: Moreira
authors: i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; Ipatimup - Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
authors: Ana
authors: A
authors: Barros
authors: Departamento de Comunicação e Arte, Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal.
authors: Ana Margarida
authors: AM
authors: Almeida
authors: i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; Ipatimup - Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
authors: Filipe
authors: F
authors: Santos-Silva
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D063731:Mobile Applications; D009042:Motivation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018907:Privacy; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D000068997:Smartphone; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Behaviour change; Cancer prevention; Mobile applications; Smartphones