Exploring the effectiveness of the design-led intervention in reducing screen time and enhancing exercise for children in the home environment

Considering the rapid rise in obesity, this thesis suggests the notion that obesity can be tackled beyond conventional ways. It is widely reported in the literature that the epidemic of obesity is only going to get worse in the next 10 years. A change is needed to allow people to have more control over living healthier through improving physical and social environments, as these have a strong influence in shaping lifestyles. Existing research is converging on the view that modifying lifestyle behaviours is a viable approach to tackling this global epidemic. Therefore, this thesis proposes a unique intervention approach, focused on instigating sustainable behaviour through a design-led intervention. This novel approach attempted to facilitate a change in participants' sedentary lifestyles and prompt daily exercise behaviours. Physical inactivity amongst children and young people has been identified as a serious public health concern in relation to increases in obesity, with figures on screen time reaching a worrisome peak. The current study demonstrated that making small changes to people's daily routine could result in habitualising healthier behaviours. This thesis further analysed some fundamental theories/models that have been applied in stimulating behaviour changes in different disciplines. Following a thorough literature review of a broad range of behavioural change studies, including reported case studies, a framework was developed. It proposed the stages of intended habitualisation of this new behaviour and informed the development of a research tool artefact which was employed for the main study of this thesis. To evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention, a longitudinal study called the Domestic User Study (DUS) was undertaken to discover the habitual changes over time in home environments. A total of 20 households participated in DUS and used the prototype (design-led intervention) for a total duration of three months. Their behaviour change data were captured through means of monitoring, pre/post interviews, and mid/post surveys. The evaluation explored three fundamental research questions: 1) Did the design-led intervention help in building exercise behaviour? 2) Has the user's TV watching behaviour changed as a result of the design-led intervention? 3) Has Knudgbox created habitualised sustainable behaviour? Some key constructs were emerged to form the theoretical framework of this thesis and were measured throughout the DUS. The results uncovered the key determinants that influenced participants' behaviour when exposed to the design-led intervention. After a comprehensive analysis, three main dimensions are presented that constitute the user habitualisation process: visual feedback, user empowerment, and regulation. The joint impact of these dimensions on sustainable behaviour suggests that, when incorporated, they can bring forth habitual changes in the target demographic and beyond. Overall, this study suggests that design-led interventions can have a positive effect on instigating exercise behaviour in the home environment. The recommended behaviour habitualisation model should be considered in the future implementation of design led approaches in order to improve the chances of success