Ana Alsukary: an android mobile application to support diabetic children and parents in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Mobile health (mHealth) has been widely invested in managing chronic diseases. The usage of mHealth could assist in improving patients’ understanding of their chronic diseases. This research contributes to this domain of knowledge by investigating the development and use of a mHealth that we call, Ana Alsukkary. This tool targets Saudi children with diabetes and their caregivers to help them better manage their diabetes. The tool allows children to share their blood sugar levels and communicate with each other while watching educational and motivational videos. Additionally, this app would allow parents/caregivers to communicate with each other and provide the location of stores that offer diabetes-friendly products. The Ana Alsukary app would additionally provide some information about the nutrition value amount in food and its effect on the blood sugar level. The tool has been built using Android-studio and technically evaluated using unit-testing and integration testing. The usability and ease of use has been evaluated qualitatively through a focus group where nine members participated. The results showed that the developed tool is convenient and easy to use. Caregivers have indicated that Ana Alsukary can assist several children to understand their diabetes condition and make adjustments with their lifestyle accordingly.