Empirical Validation of the New Website Design Assessment Model for Digital Physical Activity Platforms Targeting Older Adults in Iran

Introduction

The growing integration of digital technologies during the past decade has fundamentally altered how health and fitness services are delivered globally. Beyond mere information exchange, web‑based platforms have evolved into essential infrastructures for education, monitoring, and behavioral empowerment among older adults. In post‑pandemic societies, where physical isolation has increased, website quality directly affects user trust, cognitive load, and sustained engagement in physical activity. For the elderly, a well‑structured and inclusive digital environment can prevent detachment, foster motivation, and improve their overall quality of life.

In Iran, the rapid growth of institutional websites belonging to the Ministry of Sports and Youth, the Ministry of Health, and private wellness media has created a vibrant but uneven landscape. Many websites lack systematic evaluation based on local usability and accessibility metrics. Although several international models such as ISO 9126, WCAG 2.1, and Web‑QEM exist, none adequately address the contextual, cultural, and linguistic requirements of Persian websites dedicated to elderly physical activity. Accordingly, the Web‑DANM (Web‑based Design Assessment Novel Model) was developed as a localized, data‑driven approach that integrates technological and user‑experience metrics into a single evaluative framework.

The present study aimed to empirically validate the Web‑DANM model across ten active Iranian websites promoting physical activity among older adults. By employing quantitative, algorithm‑based data collection rather than subjective judgment, the study establishes statistical reliability and conceptual robustness of the model.

Methods

This research adopted an applied and descriptive‑analytical design within the paradigm of methodological experimentation.

Sampling: The population included all officially accessible Persian websites related to senior physical activity and health promotion. Using purposive selection criteria, ten websites were analyzed, representing governmental, educational, and private sectors. The inclusion criteria required (a) direct relevance to elderly fitness or wellness, (b) active access within Iran, and © independent website architecture rather than temporary blogs or social network pages.

Analytical Tools

To eliminate human bias and ensure data‑driven validity, five recognized evaluation instruments were utilized:

• Google PageSpeed Insights for measuring page performance indicators (FCP, LCP, TTI).
• GTmetrix for structural load time, server response, and performance grades.
• Google Lighthouse for five pillar metrics: Performance, Accessibility, Best Practices, SEO, and Progressive Web Application (PWA).
• WAVE Accessibility Tool for compliance with WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards.
• Screaming Frog SEO Spider for link integrity, sitemap coherence, metadata optimization, and error identification (4xx/5xx class).

Model Dimensions:

The Web‑DANM framework consists of nine main weighted dimensions encompassing a total of one hundred standardized indicators:

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – 22 items
2. Information Structure and Navigation – 19 items
3. Performance – 18 items
4. Reliability – 11 items
5. Usability – 10 items
6. Efficiency – 5 items
7. Content Quality – 5 items
8. Multimedia Integration – 5 items
9. Miscellaneous Design Features – 5 items

Raw scores from each tool were normalized to a 0–100 scale before aggregation. Every dimension was assigned a weighted importance proportionally to its operational relevance.

Procedure

All tests were performed under constant network conditions (average bandwidth 1 Mbps) using the Chrome browser with cache and cookies cleared prior to execution. Each website was tested twice to ensure data stability, and mean values were computed. All numeric outputs (CSV/JSON) were archived and processed within Microsoft Excel 2025 for descriptive and inferential analysis.

Reliability Checks

Temporal stability was confirmed through repeated testing on three sample websites, showing less than 4% variation in overall scores. Cross‑tool consistency revealed high correlations between corresponding measures (r = 0.89 for Performance between PageSpeed and Lighthouse; r = 0.84 for Accessibility between WAVE and Lighthouse).

Results

The empirical findings demonstrated that the average global score of the ten examined websites was 78.9 / 100, representing a “fairly favorable to favorable” design quality level. Among the nine dimensions, Reliability (86.36%) and Content Quality (82%) achieved the highest ratings, whereas SEO ranked lowest (76.81%). Governmental websites such as msy.gov.ir and behdasht.gov.ir displayed greater technical stability but lower interactivity and responsiveness compared to privately owned educational platforms. Private and media domains—especially fitamin.ir and doctorvarzesh.com/old‑sport—obtained scores above 80, reflecting superior design optimization and multimedia integration. The analysis revealed technical gaps primarily in mobile responsiveness, color contrast, and accessibility tags (alt text). Only 30% of websites were fully responsive across smart‑device screens. Average Accessibility within the Lighthouse index was 71/100, indicating typographic and perceptual barriers for elderly users. Comparative analysis suggested that contemporary UX standards were more efficiently implemented in commercial or privately managed websites than in governmental ones. Statistical variation between groups was notable (Δ ≈ 12 points in mean score). Descriptive interpretation confirmed Web‑DANM’s ability to delineate cross‑dimensional quality differences numerically and repeatably. The model effectively quantifies performance variability and highlights domains requiring managerial improvements—particularly accessibility, multimedia adaptation, and senior‑specific interface elements.

Conclusion

The current empirical validation established the Web‑DANM model as a practical, reliable, and localizable instrument for web‑design assessment in the Iranian digital health and sports context. It represents the third generation of web‑evaluation methodologies—integrating data‑driven automation, weighted metrics, and contextual localization. By removing subjective evaluator biases and emphasizing quantitative indicators, Web‑DANM bridges the gap between human‑centered design perspectives and technical analytics. The model’s coverage of nine weighted dimensions ensures comprehensive examination of both front‑end user experience and back‑end system efficiency.

Practically, adopting Web‑DANM can facilitate national standardization of website design quality for physical activity platforms aimed at older adults. Policy recommendations include:

1. Enforcing WCAG 2.1 standards emphasizing high‑contrast typography, enlarged fonts, and accessible multimedia formats.
2. Enhancing video learning segments with subtitles and expandable text instructions.
3. Institutional monitoring through periodic model‑based audits to ensure responsiveness, efficiency, and accessibility.
4. Incorporating Web‑DANM indicators into governmental design‑budget criteria and reward mechanisms.

Future research should explore cross‑cultural comparisons (Iran–Japan–Turkey) and longitudinal trend analyses of web‑quality progression. Additionally, the integration of Elderly User Experience (EUX) indices may enrich model evolution. Ultimately, Web‑DANM provides a trustworthy foundation for evidence‑based web quality assessment and offers actionable insight to developers, scholars, and policymakers dedicated to promoting active aging through digital infrastructures in Iran. Through its data precision and reproducibility, it positions itself as a scalable framework applicable beyond sports websites extending to wider domains of digital health governance and user engagement.

Footnotes

Ethical approval

In this study, questionnaires were administered only after obtaining informed consent from the participants, and the purpose of the research, the nature of the questions, and participants’ rights were clearly explained prior to their involvement. No identifying or personal information was collected, and all responses were recorded anonymously to ensure full confidentiality and data protection.

Funding

This study did not receive any funding from governmental, commercial, or non-profit organizations.

Conflict of interest

The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.