ArticleJMIR research protocols2020
Mobile Fitness and Weight Management Apps: Protocol for a Quality Evaluation.
Article in JMIR research protocols, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Evaluation of Mobile Intermittent Fasting Applications in Chinese App Stores: Quality Evaluations and Content Analysis.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2025Article
- Mobile Apps for Vaccination Services: Content Analysis and Quality Assessment.Online journal of public health informatics · 2024Article
- A Review of Smartphone Apps Used for Toric Intraocular Lens Calculation and Alignment.Vision (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundObesity is a contributing factor for many noncommunicable diseases and a growing problem worldwide. Many mobile apps have been developed to help users improve their fitness and weight management behaviors. However, the speed at which apps are created and updated means that it is important to periodically assess their quality.
objectiveThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the quality of fitness and weight management mobile health apps using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS). It will also describe the features of the included apps and compare the results to a previous evaluation conducted in 2015.
methodsSearches for "fitness," "weight," "exercise," "physical activity," "diet," "eat*," and "food" will be conducted in the Apple App Store and Google Play. Apps that have been updated over the past 5 years will be included. Two reviewers will rate the apps' quality using the MARS objective and subjective quality subscales. Interrater reliability will also be assessed. Features included in high-quality apps will be assessed, and changes in quality, features, and behavior change techniques made during the past 5 years will be described.
resultsThe results will be included in the evaluation paper, which we aim to publish in 2020.
conclusionsThis evaluation will assess the quality of currently available fitness and weight management apps. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/17685.
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Registered trials
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