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Journals / GSI Journals Serie A: Advancements in Tourism Recreation and Sports Sciences / 2026 / Cilt: 9 Sayı: 1

Digital Steps for Sustainability: A Qualitative Study on the HelpSteps Mobile Application

Sürdürülebilirlik için Dijital Adımlar: HelpSteps Mobil Uygulaması Üzerine Nitel Bir İnceleme

Merve Turan Tuna(ESKİŞEHİR TEKNİK ÜNİVERSİTESİ, SPOR BİLİMLERİ FAKÜLTESİ, SPOR YÖNETİCİLİĞİ BÖLÜMÜ)0000-0002-1638-6513
Tolga Tuna(ESKİŞEHİR TEKNİK ÜNİVERSİTESİ, SPOR BİLİMLERİ FAKÜLTESİ, SPOR YÖNETİCİLİĞİ BÖLÜMÜ)0000-0001-8413-1355
Arif Yüce(ESKİŞEHİR TEKNİK ÜNİVERSİTESİ, SPOR BİLİMLERİ FAKÜLTESİ, SPOR YÖNETİCİLİĞİ BÖLÜMÜ)0000-0003-3756-3870
Pages
421–440
Publication Date
2026-02-27
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The findings revealed six main themes: Personal Purpose (social benefit, helping others, physical activity), Meaning (tool for goodness, personal satisfaction), Sustainability (environmental, social, economic contributions), Affect (happiness, motivation, empathy), Reason for Trust (institutional collaborations, visible feedback, free use/sponsorship), and Word of Mouth (information sharing, collective walking, reminders).

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:The HelpSteps mobile application enables users to convert their physical steps into donations for social causes, representing a hybrid platform that combines digital health, behavior change, and sustainable development principles.
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Key Findings & Data:Employing an exploratory qualitative design, online semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 regular users of HelpSteps (16 women, 8 men).
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Conclusion & Impact:The findings revealed six main themes: Personal Purpose (social benefit, helping others, physical activity), Meaning (tool for goodness, personal satisfaction), Sustainability (environmental, social, economic contributions), Affect (happiness, motivation, empathy), Reason for Trust (institutional collaborations, visible feedback, free use/sponsorship), and Word of Mouth (information sharing, collective walking, reminders).
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Mobil Uygulama · Sürdürülebilirlik · HelpSteps

Abstract

The HelpSteps mobile application enables users to convert their physical steps into donations for social causes, representing a hybrid platform that combines digital health, behavior change, and sustainable development principles. This study aims to examine users’ perceptions and motivations regarding the HelpSteps mobile application within the context of sustainability. Employing an exploratory qualitative design, online semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 regular users of HelpSteps (16 women, 8 men). The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed six main themes: Personal Purpose (social benefit, helping others, physical activity), Meaning (tool for goodness, personal satisfaction), Sustainability (environmental, social, economic contributions), Affect (happiness, motivation, empathy), Reason for Trust (institutional collaborations, visible feedback, free use/sponsorship), and Word of Mouth (information sharing, collective walking, reminders). The results indicate that digital sustainability behaviors are shaped by multiple motivations (health, social responsibility, sense of belonging) and that visible feedback and institutional partnerships strengthen trust. Accordingly, this study provides implications for the design and policy of mobile health and social benefit applications, highlighting how micro-actions can be transformed into collective sustainability outcomes through digital platforms.

Özet

Kullanıcıların fiziksel adımlarını sosyal amaçlar için bağışlara dönüştürmelerini sağlayan HelpSteps mobil uygulaması; dijital sağlık, davranış değişikliği ve sürdürülebilir kalkınma ilkelerini birleştiren hibrit bir platformdur. Bu çalışma, HelpSteps mobil uygulamasının sürdürülebilirlik bağlamında kullanıcı algılarını ve kullanım motivasyonlarını incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Keşfedici nitel desende yürütülen araştırmada, HelpSteps’i düzenli kullanan 24 katılımcı (16 kadın, 8 erkek) ile çevrimiçi yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler yapılmıştır. Veriler tematik analiz yöntemiyle değerlendirilmiştir. Bulgular, altı ana tema ortaya koymuştur: Bireysel Amaç (sosyal fayda, yardım, fiziksel aktivite), Anlam (iyilik aracı, kişisel tatmin), Sürdürülebilirlik (çevresel, sosyal, ekonomik katkılar), Duygusal Deneyim (mutluluk, motivasyon, empati), Güven Sebebi (kurumsal iş birlikleri, görünür geri bildirimler, ücretsiz kullanım/sponsorluk) ve Ağızdan Ağıza İletişim (bilgi paylaşımı, birlikte yürüyüş, hatırlatmalar). Sonuçlar, dijital sürdürülebilirlik davranışlarının tekil değil çoklu motivasyonlarla (sağlık, toplumsal sorumluluk, aidiyet) beslendiğini; somut geri bildirim ve kurumsal ortaklıkların güveni güçlendirdiğini göstermektedir. Bu bağlamda bu çalışma, mobil sağlık ve sosyal fayda uygulamalarında tasarım ve politika açısından çıkarımlar sunmakta; mikro eylemlerin dijital platformlar aracılığıyla kolektif sürdürülebilirlik sonuçlarına dönüştürülebileceğini ortaya koymaktadır.

🔖

Cite This Article

Tuna, M. T., Tuna, T., Yüce, A. (2026). Digital Steps for Sustainability: A Qualitative Study on the HelpSteps Mobile Application. GSI Journals Serie A: Advancements in Tourism Recreation and Sports Sciences, Cilt: 9 Sayı: 1, 421–440. https://doi.org/10.53353/atrss.1802693

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