Development of a user-centered mobile application design for nutrition education on vitamin D in children aged 10 to 12 years old

The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among children globally and in Malaysia is significantly high, with daily intake usually not met. Despite this, few digital interventions focus on vitamin D among children. This study aims to develop a mobile app for vitamin D nutrition education for children aged 10-12 years old. Employing a cross-sectional design in Phase 1 for needs assessment, the study involved 47 school-age children from three primary schools in Puncak Alam, Selangor. Data were collected through structured questionnaires distributed via Telegram following a detailed briefing about the research to assess general and nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding vitamin D, analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results showed respondents had adequate knowledge, moderate positive attitudes, and moderate practices regarding vitamin D, with most liking the proposed app features. Phase 2 involved developing module content and designing the mobile app based on Phase 1 data. The "Riang Ria Vitamin D" mobile app, an Android application, incorporates features like personalized names, background colors, font sizes, pictures, menu buttons, responses, and clues. This app has the potential to contribute as a nutrition education tool tailored to primary school students' preferences, aiming to educate them on vitamin D and enhance their health outcomes. Future recommendations include evaluating the application with experts and target users, and further testing its acceptance and usability among children.