Factors associated with persistent participation in an online diet intervention.

In recent years, much work has been carried out in interface design and service quality in order to maximise user experience and sustain engagement. We are often unsure, however, what factors really influence user interactions with the technologies. Here we report on an ongoing examination of the relationships between user demographics, self reported attitudes, efficacy, and system feature, and participation on an online diet support site. Our findings indicate that not only the characteristics of the users themselves are associated with sustained engagement with a weight loss site, but also that usage of particular features on the site results in higher return rates. These findings support a push for designers to understand their users and features of their site, in order to maximise engagement with their target audiences.