Co-designing a digital nutrition intervention for individuals with severe mental illness using the behaviour change wheel

Authors

Ciara O'Sullivan, Department of Sports, Leisure and Childhood Studies, Munster Technological University, Cork, IrelandFollow
Tara Coppinger, Department of Sports, Leisure and Childhood Studies, Munster Technological University, Cork, IrelandFollow
Indika Dhanapala, Nimbus Research Centre, Munster Technological University, Cork, IrelandFollow
Alison Merrotsy, Applied Social Studies, Munster Technological University, Cork, IrelandFollow

Document Type

Other

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Disciplines

Health Information Technology | Mental Disorders | Nutrition | Psychiatry and Psychology | Sports Studies

Publication Details

For the purpose of Open Access, the author has applied a CC BY public copyright license to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission.

Abstract

Title: Co-Designing a Digital Nutrition Intervention for Individuals with Severe Mental Illness Using the Behaviour Change Wheel

Purpose: This study aims to develop a digital nutrition intervention for individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) residing in high-support mental health hostels, using a theoretically informed co-design approach.

Design/methodology/approach: This study will employ a participatory, mixed-methods approach, incorporating Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) to ensure user-centred intervention design. The Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) guides the selection of intervention functions, Behaviour Change Techniques (BCTs) and delivery methods. The study will consist of three phases: (1) Preparation, (2) Co-Design, and (3) Finalisation.

Findings: Data collection is expected to commence in March 2025. The co-design findings will directly inform the refinement of the digital nutrition intervention.

Originality: This study contributes to digital health research by outlining a structured methodology for designing a digital nutrition intervention for individuals with SMI. By integrating the BCW with PPI principles, the intervention will be theoretically robust, and usercentred; addressing a gap in nutrition focused digital interventions.

Recommended Citation

O’Sullivan, C., Coppinger, T., Dhanapala, I. and Merrotsy, A. (2025), "Co-designing a digital nutrition intervention for individuals with severe mental illness using the behaviour change wheel", Mental Health and Digital Technologies, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/MHDT-03-2025-0018