Introduction
Esther Nia, a 35-year-old woman, sought help to improve her health and prevent potential problems. The patient noticed that she was gaining weight and exceeded her optimal weight by 40 pounds. Moreover, Esther has a family history of obesity and is therefore concerned about her health. The woman tried to reduce her meals to stop weight gain, but her measures had no effect. She notes that she usually has breakfast but can skip lunch and dinner; Moreover, she also reports eating junk food because of her workload. Esther is looking for a guide for a healthy diet, which will help her plan meals, lose weight, and subsequently keep her weight within normal limits. The patient feels she needs food control at home and work and is motivated to learn.
Esther’s problem is widespread, as it is difficult to follow healthy habits in an intense and stressful lifestyle. However, overweight and unhealthy food carry significant health risks. Dangerous consequences include the development of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, breathing problems and sleep apnea, deterioration of mental health and quality of life, and other problems (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2022a). For these reasons, Esther’s referral to a specialist demonstrates her concern for health and well-being. The MyFitnessPal application can be a valuable tool for achieving her goals, and therefore patient requires training for its effective use.
mHealth Application
The MyFitnessPal app is designed to help users track their nutrition, counting calories and the amount of water they drink. Functions in addition to registering food, water, and calories include tracking fitness activity, setting nutrition and exercise goals, analyzing progress, searching recipes, and communicating with the app’s community (MyFitnessPal, Inc., 2022b). The application works on mobile phones with versions Android 9.0 and higher and iOS 14 and higher (MyFitnessPal, Inc., 2022c). At the same time, information from various applications and devices can be combined in MyFitnessPal, which makes it more convenient to use other resources such as watches or trackers. The app is available for download through Google Play and the App Store (MyFitnessPal, Inc., 2022a). As a result, the application is suitable for various groups of users and has many functions that will be useful in the case of Esther.
Teaching Patients on App Usage Information
The recommended level of calorie intake and the creation of a meal plan depend on several factors. Some calculators consider age, height, gender, weight, and physical activity level and then offer the number of calories as an example presented on the slide (Link & Gunnars, 2021). Women between 31 and 59 need from 1,600 to 2,200 calories per day, leaning towards a lower amount for weight loss with low activity (U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [USDA], 2020). MyFitnessPal also takes into account the amount of water consumed per day. The recommended volume is about 1.8 liters but can vary with the needs of the individual (Armstrong & Johnson, 2018). It is important to follow healthy eating patterns to meet the required calorie levels.
App Usage: Safety Issues
Safety is an essential aspect of mHealth applications, and it is necessary to understand what this question affects. Users should be prepared for the MyFitnessPal, Inc. (2022b) app’s developers to collect different data types. The information collected may include location, health information, personal data such as name and e-mail, messages, in-app activity analysis, and device information. The company can transfer data about location, user ID, and information about the devices used to other companies and organizations (MyFitnessPal, Inc., 2022b). Data is collected to improve user experience, and for protection, the application uses encryption and leaves it to users to request data deletion (MyFitnessPal, Inc., 2022b).
Applications cannot always work perfectly, and users must consider potential hazards (Akbar et al., 2020). In the case of MyFitnessPal, threats such as incorrect and incomplete information and the possibility of wrong conclusions from the analysis may be relevant. For this reason, it is crucial to critically evaluate the content in the application and rely on knowledge gained from trusted sources.
App Usage: Interpretation and Action
Tracking progress and preventing errors requires proper interpretation and evaluation of the data collected by the application. Having set the weight loss goal, tracking the progress is necessary. The normal weight-loss pace is losing 1-2 pounds per week (CDC, 2022b). If weight loss is too slow or fast, adjustments to nutrition, meal plan, calorie amount, or physical activity levels are needed. Adjustments are also needed in calorie count when the purpose of weight loss has been met. Then it is necessary to increase food consumption to a level that will allow for maintaining a healthy weight. In some cases, people can exceed the calorie level per day. Such a situation should not lead to skipping meals another day to compensate for the excess. Individuals can cut calories slightly in each intake or increase the amount of exercise.
Success Evaluation: Patient’s Understanding
To follow the instructions of medical specialists, patients need a certain level of health literacy. The teach-back method can verify the patient’s understanding of the provider’s recommendations and instructions. It suggests that patients will resell the information they received from the doctor so that the specialist can ensure that everything is understood correctly and add something if necessary (Yen & Lease, 2019). In the case of Esther, the patient will also be able to ask clarifying questions about the application and its use.
It is crucial that the patient is motivated and ready to use the application regularly to ensure its benefits are maximum. Therefore, assessing the convenience of the application for Esther is an essential measure for achieving her health goals. The critical criteria that predict long-term use of the application are the user’s satisfaction with the application, its functions and convenience, and perceived benefit (Song et al., 2020). Therefore, after some time of use, it is necessary to assess Esther’s satisfaction with the application.
Health indicators are the essential criterion for the effectiveness of the intervention. Therefore, after a period of using the application for proper nutrition, Esther needs health screening. The key indicator is the patient’s weight since its loss is the goal of the intervention. A healthy weight contributes to maintaining heart health, improving sleep, and the individual’s overall well-being. For these reasons, all of Esther’s health indicators should improve.
Conclusion
The case of the patient Esther Nia involves an intervention to maintain her health and reduce weight. MyFitnessPal: Calorie Counter is an app that can help achieve the patient’s goals. The app helps users plan meals, count calories, and track progress. It is crucial to provide the patient with knowledge about nutrition patterns so that she can use the application effectively. Providers can track Esther’s progress through knowledge assessment, satisfaction with the application, and screening health indicators.
References
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Armstrong, L. E., & Johnson, E. C. (2018). Water intake, water balance, and the elusive daily water requirement. Nutrients, 10(12), 1-25. Web.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022a). Health effects of overweight and obesity. Web.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022b). Losing weight. Web.
Link, R., & Gunnars, K. (2021). How many calories should you eat per day to lose weight? Healthline. Web.
MyFitnessPal, Inc. (2022a). MyFitnessPal: Calorie counter [Mobile app]. App Store. Web.
MyFitnessPal, Inc. (2022b). MyFitnessPal: Calorie counter [Mobile app]. Google Play. Web.
MyFitnessPal, Inc. (2022c). Supported devices. Web.
Song, T., Deng, N., Cui, T., Qian, S., Liu, F., Guan, Y., & Yu, P. (2021). Measuring success of patients’ continuous use of mobile health services for self-management of chronic conditions: Model development and validation. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(7), 1-14. Web.
U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020). Dietary guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 (9th ed.). Web.
Yen, P. H., & Leasure, A. R. (2019). Use and effectiveness of the teach-back method in patient education and health outcomes. Federal Practitioner: For the Health Care Professionals Of the VA, DoD, and PHS, 36(6), 284–289. Web.