Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31215516›Full record

ArticleJMIR mHealth and uHealth2019

Understanding the Use of Smartphone Apps for Health Information Among Pregnant Chinese Women: Mixed Methods Study.

Na Wang, Zequn Deng, Li Ming Wen, Yan Ding, Gengsheng He

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 59 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
59citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
27.0field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
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

59 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 122 citations in OpenAlex.

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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

5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Na WangDepartment of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0000-0002-5145-0795
Zequn DengDepartment of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0000-0002-7161-9519
Li Ming WenSchool of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-1381-4022
Yan DingNursing Department, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hospital of Fudan University, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0000-0003-1779-6837
Gengsheng HeDepartment of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0000-0002-8740-8935
Fudan University · CNObstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University · CNThe University of Sydney · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHospital-based health promotion resources to assist pregnant women in adopting a healthy lifestyle and optimizing gestational weight gain are important, but with limited effects. Increasingly, women are using mobile apps to access health information during the antenatal period.

objectiveThe aims of the study were to investigate app-usage by Chinese women during pregnancy and to gain a better understanding of their views and attitudes toward apps containing health information.

methodsA mixed methods study design was applied. Study participants were recruited from 2 maternity hospitals in Shanghai, China, between March and July 2018. A self-administered Web-based survey was conducted with 535 pregnant Chinese women on their sources of health information and reasons for using apps during pregnancy. A total of 4 semistructured focus groups were also conducted with the pregnant women (n=28).

resultsThe use of pregnancy-related apps and the internet was common among the respondents. Almost half of the women had used pregnancy-related apps. Specifically, the use of apps for health information declined as pregnancy progressed from 70% (35/50) in the first trimester to 41.3% (143/346) in the third trimester. The main reason for using an app was to monitor fetal development (436/535, 81.5%), followed by learning about nutrition and recording diet in pregnancy (140/535, 26.2%). The women found that the apps were useful and convenient and can support lifestyle modifications during pregnancy. However, some apps also contained misinformation or incorrect information that could cause anxiety as reported by the participants. Many women expressed the need for developing an app containing evidence-based, well-informed, and tailored health information to support them during pregnancy.

conclusionsThe study suggests that apps were widely used by many Chinese women during pregnancy to monitor fetal development, to obtain diet and physical activity information, and to track their body changes. The women highly appreciated the evidence-based information, expert opinions, and tailored advice available on apps. Smartphone apps have the potential to deliver health information for pregnant women.

Indexed as

AdultChinaCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleFocus GroupsHealth Information ExchangeHumansMobile ApplicationsPregnancyPregnant PeopleQualitative Researchconsumer health informationhealth promotionmobile applicationspregnancy

Identifiers

PMID31215516
PMCPMC6604500
OpenAlexW2945647424

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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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.