Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40550117›Full record

ArticleJMIR formative research2025

A Mobile App (Joint Effort) to Support Cannabis Use Self-Management and Reinforce the Use of Protective Behavioral Strategies: Development Process and Usability Testing.

José Côté, Patricia Auger, Gabrielle Chicoine, Jinghui Cheng, Sylvie Cossette, Guillaume Fontaine, Christine Genest, Shalini Lal, Judith Lapierre, M Gabrielle Pagé and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR formative research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

José CôtéFaculty of Nursing, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-0617-2861
Patricia AugerResearch Centre, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-7344-1155
Gabrielle ChicoineResearch Chair in Innovative Nursing Practices, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-3179-5806
Jinghui ChengDepartment of Computer Engineering and Software Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-8474-5290
Sylvie CossetteFaculty of Nursing, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-5840-9122
Guillaume FontaineIngram School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-7806-814X
Christine GenestFaculty of Nursing, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-2897-7003
Shalini LalResearch Centre, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-7501-5018
Judith LapierreFaculty of Nursing, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-3863-9080
M Gabrielle PagéResearch Centre, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-7742-2717
Marc-André Maheu-CadotteFaculty of Nursing, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-3190-0901
Geneviève RouleauResearch Chair in Innovative Nursing Practices, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-1093-6577
Billy VinetteFaculty of Nursing, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-0343-0260
Didier Jutras-AswadResearch Centre, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-8474-508X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCanada's legalization of recreational cannabis use (CU) has further highlighted the need for innovative interventions that promote lower-risk CU. Young adults aged 18-25 years represent the age group with the highest prevalence of CU. Protective behavioral strategies (PBSs) have been shown to help manage CU and reduce its negative consequences. To date, only a few interventions have focused on PBSs. To address this gap, a mobile app prototype using PBSs to influence CU was developed with and for young adults.

objectiveThis study aims to describe the development process and usability testing of Joint Effort, a CU self-management mobile app prototype centered on promoting the use of PBSs among young adults with any past 30-day CU.

methodsIntervention mapping (IM) and a co-design approach were used. Six steps were followed: (1) focus groups were conducted to identify needs and preferences regarding CU interventions; (2) a matrix of change objectives was used to select target behaviors and determinants; (3) theory-based intervention methods and practical applications were selected; (4) focus groups were held to validate the intervention structure and examples of tailored messages; (5) preliminary intervention content was created; and (6) the intervention content was transposed into a mobile app prototype. Usability was assessed through qualitative semistructured interviews and the User Version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale (uMARS), completed by a sample of 20 university students with a mean age of 21.8 (median 22) years, 14 (70%) of whom were women and 15 (75%) were undergraduates. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

resultsFour themes were identified from the interviews: Joint Effort was visually pleasing and easy to use; the content was well-adapted to the target audience and nonjudgmental; customization functions were appreciated; and the app was perceived as helpful and relevant for initiating behavior change. The prototype received a mean quality score of 4.43/5.0 (SD 0.53) per item on the uMARS. The mean scores on the 5 subscales were as follows: engagement (4.14, SD 0.53), functionality (4.60, SD 0.47), aesthetics (4.53, SD 0.52), information quality (4.44, SD 0.61), and subjective quality (3.36, SD 0.53).

conclusionsOur findings highlight the added value of IM and a co-design approach, underscoring the importance of incorporating user feedback in the development of mobile apps. Building on the strong usability results, the Joint Effort prototype has since been developed into an iOS mobile app, and larger-scale evaluations are currently underway to assess its acceptability, feasibility, and efficacy.

Indexed as

Marijuana UseMobile ApplicationsSelf-ManagementAdolescentAdultCanadaFemaleFocus GroupsHumansMaleYoung AdultcannabisdevelopmentinterventionmHealthmobile appprototypeself-managementstudentsusabilityyoung adults

Identifiers

PMID40550117
PMCPMC12235202

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.