Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28646889›Full record

ArticleThe international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity2017

Apps to improve diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children and adolescents: a review of quality, features and behaviour change techniques.

Stephanie Schoeppe, Stephanie Alley, Amanda L Rebar, Melanie Hayman, Nicola A Bray, Wendy Van Lippevelde, Jens-Peter Gnam, Philip Bachert, Artur Direito, Corneel Vandelanotte

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 141 papers, 12 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
141citing papers in PubMed, 12 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

141 citing papers in PubMed, 12 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  8. A Systematic Literature Review of Peer-led Strategies for Promoting Physical Activity Levels of Adolescents.Health education & behavior : the official publication of the Society for Public Health Education · 2022
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81 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Stephanie SchoeppeSchool of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Physical Activity Research Group, Central Queensland University, Bruce Highway, Rockhampton, QLD, 4702, Australia. s.schoeppe@cqu.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0003-1937-876X
Stephanie AlleySchool of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Physical Activity Research Group, Central Queensland University, Bruce Highway, Rockhampton, QLD, 4702, Australia.
Amanda L RebarSchool of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Physical Activity Research Group, Central Queensland University, Bruce Highway, Rockhampton, QLD, 4702, Australia.
Melanie HaymanSchool of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Physical Activity Research Group, Central Queensland University, Bruce Highway, Rockhampton, QLD, 4702, Australia.
Nicola A BraySchool of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Physical Activity Research Group, Central Queensland University, Bruce Highway, Rockhampton, QLD, 4702, Australia.
Wendy Van LippeveldeDepartment of Public Health, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Jens-Peter GnamKarlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Sports und Sports Science, Karlsruhe, Germany.
Philip BachertKarlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Sports und Sports Science, Karlsruhe, Germany.
Artur DireitoThe University of Auckland, National Institute for Health Innovation, Auckland, New Zealand.
Corneel VandelanotteSchool of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Physical Activity Research Group, Central Queensland University, Bruce Highway, Rockhampton, QLD, 4702, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe number of commercial apps to improve health behaviours in children is growing rapidly. While this provides opportunities for promoting health, the content and quality of apps targeting children and adolescents is largely unexplored. This review systematically evaluated the content and quality of apps to improve diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children and adolescents, and examined relationships of app quality ratings with number of app features and behaviour change techniques (BCTs) used.

methodsSystematic literature searches were conducted in iTunes and Google Play stores between May-November 2016. Apps were included if they targeted children or adolescents, focused on improving diet, physical activity and/or sedentary behaviour, had a user rating of at least 4+ based on at least 20 ratings, and were available in English. App inclusion, downloading and user-testing for quality assessment and content analysis were conducted independently by two reviewers. Spearman correlations were used to examine relationships between app quality, and number of technical app features and BCTs included.

resultsTwenty-five apps were included targeting diet (n = 12), physical activity (n = 18) and sedentary behaviour (n = 7). On a 5-point Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS), overall app quality was moderate (total MARS score: 3.6). Functionality was the highest scoring domain (mean: 4.1, SD: 0.6), followed by aesthetics (mean: 3.8, SD: 0.8), and lower scoring for engagement (mean: 3.6, SD: 0.7) and information quality (mean: 2.8, SD: 0.8). On average, 6 BCTs were identified per app (range: 1-14); the most frequently used BCTs were providing 'instructions' (n = 19), 'general encouragement' (n = 18), 'contingent rewards' (n = 17), and 'feedback on performance' (n = 13). App quality ratings correlated positively with numbers of technical app features (rho = 0.42, p < 0.05) and BCTs included (rho = 0.54, p < 0.01).

conclusionsPopular commercial apps to improve diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children and adolescents had moderate quality overall, scored higher in terms of functionality. Most apps incorporated some BCTs and higher quality apps included more app features and BCTs. Future app development should identify factors that promote users' app engagement, be tailored to specific population groups, and be informed by health behaviour theories.

Indexed as

DietExerciseFeeding BehaviorSedentary BehaviorAdolescentBehavior TherapyChildHealth BehaviorHealth PromotionHumansMobile ApplicationsAdolescentsApplicationsBehaviour change techniquesChildrenDietMARSMobile health (mHealth)Physical activitySedentary behaviorSmartphone

Identifiers

PMID28646889
PMCPMC5483249

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.