Acceptability of a Phone App-Based Motivational Interviewing Intervention for Young Men’s Health

Motivational interviewing (MI), an effective communication style for facilitating behavior change, paired with a smartphone app is a unique approach to engage young men in health promotion. We assessed young men’s experiences with a pilot intervention using a smartphone app paired with phone-based MI coaching by trained community health coaches. App activities included goal setting, health behavior tracking, and educational materials. The app and coaching addressed sexual health or fitness. Fourteen black and/or Hispanic men, ages 15–19 years, were interviewed about their experiences. Interviews were transcribed and coded using framework analysis. Participants found the app activities and coaching acceptable and felt comfortable discussing health behaviors. They reported gaining knowledge about sexual health and fitness, which some shared with others. Most preferred phone rather than in-person or video coaching due to it feeling “safer,” travel barriers, ease of rescheduling sessions, and increased privacy regarding sensitive subjects. Some found phone coaching preferable to a healthcare visit. Obstacles to participation included phone replacement, parental monitoring, and restriction of phone privileges. Over time, participants felt positively about their relationship with their coach but sometimes viewed them as having medical expertise beyond their training. Smartphone app-based MI with community health coaches has great potential for use with young men for a variety of health issues. However, it has unique obstacles: phone accessibility may restrict participant’s ability to engage fully and perceptions of a coach’s expertise should be regularly clarified. Future studies should continue assessing acceptability and rigorously evaluate effectiveness and scalability.