Web-Based Tool Designed to Encourage Supplemental NutritionAssistance Program Use in Urban College Students:UsabilityTesting Study

Background: Food insecurity continues to be a risk for college students in the United States. It is associated with numerousproblems, such as chronic health conditions, increased stress and anxiety, and a lower grade point average. After COVID-19, theSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits were extended to college-aged students; however, there were somebarriers to participation, which persisted such as lack of perceived food insecurity risk, lack of knowledge regarding the SNAPapplication process, the complexity of determining eligibility, and stigma associated with needing social assistance. Atechnology-enhanced tool was developed to address these barriers to SNAP enrollment and encourage at-risk college students toapply for SNAP. Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the usability and acceptability of a web-based SNAP screening tool designedfor college-aged students. Methods: College students aged 18-25 years were recruited to participate in 2 rounds of usability testing during fall 2022.Participants tested the prototype of a web-based SNAP screener tool using a standardized think-aloud method. The usability andacceptability of the tool were assessed using a semistructured interview and a 10-item validated System Usability Scalequestionnaire. Audio recordings and field notes were systematically reviewed by extracting and sorting feedback as positive ornegative comments. System Usability Scale questionnaire data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test and sign test. Results: A total of 12 students (mean age 21.8, SD 2.8 years; n=6, 50% undergraduate; n=11, 92% female; n=7, 58% Hispanicor Black or African American; n=9, 78% low or very low food security) participated in both rounds of user testing. Round 1testing highlighted overall positive experiences with the tool, with most participants (10/12) stating that the website fulfills itsprimary objective as a support tool to encourage college students to apply for SNAP. However, issues related to user interfacedesign, navigation, and wording of some questions in the screening tool were noted. Key changes after round 1 reflected theseconcerns, including improved design of response buttons and tool logo and improved clarity of screening questions. The overallsystem usability showed slight, but not statistically significant, improvement between round 1 and round 2 (91.25 vs 92.50; P=.10,respectively). onclusions: Overall usability findings suggest that this web-based tool was highly usable and acceptable to urban collegestudents and could be an effective and appealing approach as a support tool to introduce college students to the SNAP applicationprocess. The findings from this study will inform further development of the tool, which could eventually be disseminated publiclyamong various college campuses.