DWELL: Design for WELLness. A pilot study of an online Facebook intervention to improve perceptions of knowledge, engagement, and self-efficacy in the creation of healthy home environments

Background: Many factors in the environment influence healthy behaviors. Designing user-friendly environments, by changing the way choices are presented in the environment, may result in behavioral changes and promote the well-being. Objectives: To run a pilot study to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of DWELL (Design for WELLness), which is an online Facebook intervention to improve perceptions of knowledge, engagement, and self-efficacy in the creation of healthy home environments. Methods: Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to evaluate this 7.5-week pilot study. The intervention was conducted during the first wave of COVID-19 lockdown in Israel. Participants answered an online questionnaire at the beginning and end of the pilot. Afterwards, eleven semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with some of the participants. Results: There were 36 mothers who participated in the study. The overall DWELL index increased by 15.43 points (p < 0.001) from the beginning of the pilot [Mean(SD) = 48.14(17.91)] to the end [Mean(SD) = 63.57(11.98]. There were significant increases in all 5 items of DWELL (p < 0.05). Positive feedback was obtained from interviewees about their experience with the program, including being interested with the posts and having a mutual learning experience with other members. The intervention was found to be beneficial to most families during COVID-19 lockdown time. Conclusions: DWELL was found to be a promising intervention for improving perceptions regarding designing home environments for wellness. These results justified the continuation of the program toward its next phase of the RCT.