Table 3.
Performance on App Behavior Change Scale (ABACUS) criteria (most to least frequently used).
| Behavior change technique | Frequency | Increasing physical activity |
Promoting healthy eating |
Improving mental well-being |
Preventing tobacco use |
Reducing alcohol consumption |
| Allow or encourage practice or rehearsal in addition to daily activities, n (%) | 310 (90.1) | 263 (95.6) | 20 (86.5) | 23 (85.2) | 2 (14.2) | 2 (40) |
| Allow the user to easily self-monitor behavior, n (%) | 289 (84.0) | 238 (86.5) | 19 (82.5) | 17 (63.0) | 14 (100) | 1 (20) |
| Provide instruction on how to perform the behavior, n (%) | 233 (67.7) | 197 (71.6) | 7 (30.5) | 23 (85.2) | 3 (21.4) | 3 (60) |
| Customize and personalize some features, n (%) | 227 (60.0) | 186 (67.6) | 10 (43.5) | 18 (66.7) | 10 (71.4) | 3 (60) |
| Reminders and/or prompts or cues for activity, n (%) | 225 (65.4) | 184 (66.9) | 14 (60.5) | 18 (66.7) | 8 (57.1) | 1 (20) |
| Baseline information, n (%) | 192 (55.8) | 154 (56.0) | 15 (65.5) | 6 (22.2) | 14 (100) | 3 (60) |
| Give user feedback (person or automatic), n (%) | 191 (55.5) | 164 (59.6) | 4 (17.5) | 20 (74.1) | 2 (14.2) | 1 (20) |
| Encourage positive habit formation, n (%) | 186 (54.1) | 151 (54.9) | 12 (52.5) | 19 (70.4) | 2 (14.2) | 2 (40) |
| Share behaviors with others and/or allow for social comparison, n (%) | 155 (45.1) | 129 (46.9) | 4 (17.5) | 10 (37.0) | 11 (78.5) | 1 (20) |
| Provide general encouragement, n (%) | 138 (40.1) | 105 (38.1) | 8 (34.5) | 15 (55.6) | 9 (64.2) | 1 (20) |
| Goal setting, n (%) | 102 (29.7) | 69 (25.0) | 20 (86.5) | 4 (14.8) | 6 (42.8) | 3 (60) |
| Review goals, update, and change, n (%) | 98 (28.5) | 65 (23.6) | 20 (86.5) | 3 (11.1) | 7 (50) | 3 (60) |
| Understand the difference between current action and future goals, n (%) | 83 (24.1) | 51 (18.5) | 15 (65.5) | 2 (7.4) | 13 (92.8) | 2 (40) |
| Material or social reward or incentive, n (%) | 69 (20.1) | 53 (19.2) | 7 (30.5) | 3 (11.1) | 5 (35.7) | 1 (20) |
| App created with expertise and/or information consistent with national guidelines, n (%) | 60 (17.4) | 27 (9.81) | 12 (52.5) | 10 (37.0) | 9 (64.2) | 2 (40) |
| Information provided about the consequences of continuing and/or discontinuing behavior, n (%) | 34 (9.9) | 11 (4.0) | 1 (4.5) | 6 (22.2) | 13 (92.8) | 3 (60) |
| Restructure the physical or social environment, n (%) | 30 (8.7) | 5 (1.81) | 3 (13.5) | 17 (63.0) | 3 (21.4) | 2 (40) |
| Distraction or avoidance | 23 (6.7) | 3 (1.09) | 2 (8.5) | 12 (44.4) | 4 (28.5) | 2 (40) |
| Provide the opportunity to plan for barriers, n (%) | 22 (6.4) | 4 (1.45) | 4 (17.5) | 9 (33.3) | 3 (21.4) | 2 (40) |
| Data export, n (%) | 18 (5.2) | 15 (5.45) | 0 (0) | 1 (3.7) | 2 (14.2) | 0 (0) |
| Willingness for behavior change, n (%) | 12 (3.5) | 7 (2.54) | 0 (0) | 0 (0.0) | 3 (21.4) | 2 (40) |
| ABACUS average score | 7.8 | 7.56 | 8.6 | 8.7 | 10.2 | 8.0 |