The HAPPEN Patient Survey

Abstract

The HAPpEN Patient Survey (König et al., 2025) is a specialized psychometric instrument designed to comprehensively assess the health profile of individuals residing in rural populations. The survey focuses on three principal domains: the self-reported health status of participants, their perceived access to opportunities facilitating healthy eating and physical activity, and their engagement with digital technology and health-related interventions.

The instrument was developed for a specific research study involving patients recruited from general practitioner practices located in rural Bavaria, Germany. The survey integrates items derived from multiple sources to ensure robust measurement of these complex constructs related to lifestyle and environmental factors.

Keywords

Digital Health Technology Use, Health Status, Healthy Eating, Mobile Intervention Use, Perceived Access, Physical Activity, Rural Patients, Rural Environments, Telemedicine, Health Disparities, Health Behavior Measures, Health Care Access, Preventive Health Behavior, Rural Health, Digital Health Resources, Mobile Health Applications, Digital Technology Usage Measures.

Authors

König, Laura M., Betz, Constanze, Al Masri, Mirna, Bartelmeß, Tina

Purpose

The primary objective of the HAPpEN Patient Survey is to generate detailed empirical data concerning the factors that either facilitate or inhibit the adoption and maintenance of healthy eating and physical activity behaviors among populations living in rural settings. This focus helps identify contextual challenges unique to non-urban environments.

Furthermore, the instrument aims to quantify and understand the extent to which these populations utilize and engage with digital health technology (including mobile applications and telemedicine resources) to manage or improve their health outcomes. The gathered insights support the development of targeted, context-specific health interventions designed to address rural health disparities.

Construct

The HAPpEN Patient Survey is a multi-dimensional instrument assessing several interconnected constructs relevant to public health and health psychology in rural contexts. It moves beyond simple self-report of behavior to include environmental and technological engagement factors.

Key constructs measured include: 1) Objective and subjective measures of health status; 2) Environmental and contextual factors related to access (e.g., availability of grocery stores, leisure facilities) which influence healthy eating and physical activity; and 3) Adoption and frequency of use of various digital tools (e.g., fitness trackers, dietary apps) for health management and information seeking.

Validity

Currently, no specific data regarding the validity (e.g., construct, concurrent, or predictive validity) of the HAPpEN Patient Survey is available in the provided documentation or associated reference materials.

Reliability

Information concerning the reliability (e.g., internal consistency, test-retest reliability) of the HAPpEN Patient Survey has not been made available by the authors at this time.

Factor Analysis

Data derived from formal factor analysis procedures, which would typically define the underlying latent structure or subscales of the survey, are not currently available for review.

Instrument

Test Type: Original

Format: The survey utilizes a mixed-format approach, incorporating yes/no questions, open-ended items for qualitative insights, and Likert scale response options for measuring attitudes and frequency. The survey is structured into the following distinct sections:

• Socio-demographic information
• Health-related information
• Living situation, including information on nutrition and grocery shopping and leisure time activities
• Food environment
• Physical activity environment
• Nutrition information seeking
• Use of digital technology
• Use of mobile fitness technology
• Use of mobile dietary applications

Language Available: German and English.

Population Group: The survey is intended for use with human populations, including both males and females.

Age Group: The survey is designed for use with adults aged 18 years and older.

Population Details: The initial target population consisted of rural patients recruited through general practitioner practices in Bavaria, Germany.

Test Methodology: The HAPpEN Patient Survey employs a blend of qualitative and quantitative assessment methods to gather comprehensive data on health behaviors and technology use among the target population.

Keywords

Digital Health Technology Use, Health Status, Healthy Eating, Mobile Intervention Use, Perceived Access, Physical Activity, Rural Patients, Rural Environments, Telemedicine, Health Disparities, Health Behavior Measures, Health Care Access, Preventive Health Behavior, Rural Health, Digital Health Resources, Mobile Health Applications, Digital Technology Usage Measures.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: No data is Available

Affiliation Email addresses: König, Laura M.: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: König, Laura M.: University of Vienna, Faculty of Psychology, Wächtergasse 1/504, Vienna, Austria, 1010, [email protected]

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permission for use of the HAPpEN Patient Survey should be obtained by contacting the Corresponding Author. There is no fee required for the use of this survey instrument. The test year of development and initial publication is 2025.

Reference’s

König, L. M., Betz, C., Al Masri, M., & Bartelmeß, T. (2025). Health behaviours and mobile intervention use in patients recruited from general practitioners’ practices in rural bavaria. Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, 13(1), Article 2444244. The DOI is available here: doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2024.2444244

Web Site: osf.io/5vzpy/

Items of the the HAPpEN Patient Survey

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

No data is Available