Gauteng Wellbeing Mapper - User Guide

Welcome

Wellbeing Mapper helps people learn more about the ways in which mental wellbeing depends on environmental conditions. You can use it privately to study your own movements and wellbeing. If you live in Gauteng, South Africa and have volunteered to be part of the Planet4Health study on mental wellbeing in environmental & climate context, you can use the app to respond to surveys and share your information anonymously with researchers.

This app is part of the larger Planet4Health project, a Horizon Europe research initiative investigating how environmental factors affect mental wellbeing and developing evidence-based interventions for healthier communities.

Main Screen Controls

Location Tracking Switch

The switch in the top-right corner controls location tracking:

• Yellow switch = Tracking ON (recording your movements)
• Grey switch = Tracking OFF (not recording)
• When ON, the app tracks your location in the background

GPS Fix Button

The GPS icon next to the switch:

• Tap to get your current precise location
• Useful if the map seems outdated
• Forces the app to check your exact position
• The icon turns yellow when active

Survey Button (Blue Oval)

The floating blue button in the bottom-right:

• Tap anytime to take a wellbeing survey
• Available to all users (private and research mode)
• Surveys help track how you feel in different places
• Takes about 2-3 minutes to complete

Menu Button

The hamburger menu (three lines) in the top-left:

• Opens the main navigation menu
• Access all app features and settings
• Different options based on your app mode
• Tap anywhere outside menu to close

Menu Options

Available to Everyone

Locations History

• View a list of all recorded locations with timestamps and coordinates
• You can delete individual entries by swiping left

Export Data

• Export all your location and survey data as a JSON file
• This creates a backup you can save or share

App Mode

• Switch between Private Mode (data stays on your phone unless you manually export it) and Research Mode (anonymous data shared with researchers using end-to-end encryption)

Help & Guide

• Opens the help screen with detailed instructions for using the app

Visit Project Website

• Opens the Wellbeing Mapper Project website in your browser for more information

Report an Issue

• Contact the research team if you experience technical problems or have questions

Research Mode Only

Initial Survey

• Complete a one-time survey when you first join the research study

Wellbeing Survey

• Take the bi-weekly wellbeing check-in survey
• You’ll also be reminded automatically

Survey History

• View all surveys you’ve completed, including dates and your responses

Survey Notifications

• Manage when and how often you receive survey reminder notifications

Research Data Upload

• Manually upload your encrypted data to research servers (usually happens automatically)

App Modes

Private Mode 🔒

• All data stays on your phone only
• No automatic data sharing with researchers
• You control all data export and sharing
• Perfect for personal movement tracking
• Can still take wellbeing surveys for yourself

Research Mode 🔬

• Encrypted data shared with research team
• Contribute to important wellbeing studies
• Regular survey reminders every 2 weeks
• All participation is voluntary and anonymous
• Full control over location data sharing (see Data Sharing Preferences below)
• Can switch back to Private Mode anytime

Note: You can switch between modes anytime through the menu. Your data will be preserved when switching.

Data Sharing Preferences (Research Mode Only)

Research participants have complete control over what location data they share with researchers. Location sharing preferences are now integrated directly into the survey form for a streamlined experience.

Data Sharing Options

When you complete wellbeing surveys in Research Mode, you’ll see a Location Sharing section within the survey form where you can choose:

1. Share All Locations 📍
   • Upload complete 2-week location history with survey responses
   • Helps researchers understand environmental context fully
   • All data is encrypted and anonymous
2. Select Specific Locations 🗺️
   • Opens an interactive map to choose exactly which locations to share
   • You can remove sensitive locations (e.g., home, work) while sharing others
   • Perfect for sharing public spaces while protecting personal locations
   • Status shows how many locations are selected for sharing
3. Survey Only 📝
   • Upload only your survey answers, no location data
   • Still valuable for mood and wellbeing research
   • Complete privacy for your movements

Integrated Survey Experience

New Streamlined Process:

• Location sharing choices are made directly within the survey form
• No separate consent dialogs or additional steps
• Status indicator shows your current selection and location count
• One-click submission handles both survey responses and location preferences
• Immediate return to home screen after submission

Interactive Location Selection:

• When you choose “Select Specific Locations”, an interactive map opens
• All locations are shown by default - you remove ones you want to keep private
• Easy-to-use eraser tool to exclude specific areas
• “Confirm Selection” button returns you to the survey form
• Clear help dialog explains all map controls

Managing Your Preferences

Within Each Survey:

• Location sharing section shows your current choice
• Status text displays location count and selection state
• Help button explains each option
• Can change preferences for each survey submission

Data Sharing Preferences (Available in side menu):

• View your current sharing settings
• Change default preferences
• See history of your consent decisions
• Review past location sharing choices

Different User Experiences

Beta Testers:

• See orange success messages explaining that data is stored locally only
• No actual data transmission (testing mode)
• All location sharing controls available for testing

Research Participants:

• Blue success messages about research contribution
• Data prepared for upload (server setup pending)
• Full location sharing control and privacy protection

Regular Users:

• Simple confirmation messages
• Private data storage on device only
• Can still use location sharing interface for personal analysis

Privacy Protection

• All data is encrypted before leaving your device
• No personal identifiers are ever transmitted
• Location areas are shown as general regions, not exact addresses
• You can change or withdraw consent at any time
• Complete transparency about what data is being shared

About the Surveys

Wellbeing surveys help researchers understand how your environment affects your mood, stress, and overall wellbeing.

When to Take Surveys

• Anytime using blue button on main screen
• Research participants get reminders every 2 weeks
• Best to take when you have 2-3 minutes
• Try to answer honestly based on how you feel

What Surveys Ask

• How you’re feeling emotionally
• Your stress and anxiety levels
• Safety and comfort in your current location
• Social connections and community feeling
• Physical health and energy levels

Privacy & Data Security

Data Protection

• All data is encrypted on your device
• Location data never includes personal identifiers
• You control what data to share and when
• Research data is anonymous and aggregated

Your Privacy Rights

• You can stop participating anytime
• Delete your data from the study
• Export your data for personal use
• Contact researchers with privacy concerns

Troubleshooting

Location not updating?

• Check that location tracking switch is ON (yellow)
• Tap the GPS button to force a location update
• Ensure location permissions are enabled in phone settings
• Try restarting the app if problems persist

App running slowly?

• Close other apps running in the background
• Restart your phone if needed
• Clear some storage space on your device
• Update to the latest version of the app

Survey notifications not working?

• Check notification settings in your phone
• Open “Survey Notifications” in the menu
• Ensure the app has permission to send notifications
• Try triggering a test notification

Need More Help?

If you have questions or need assistance:

• Use “Report an Issue” in the menu
• Visit the project website for more information
• Contact the research team directly
• Check for app updates in your app store

Thank you for using Gauteng Wellbeing Mapper! Your participation helps researchers understand how communities and environments affect wellbeing in South Africa.