ArticleJMIR diabetes2021
Analysis of Diabetes Apps to Assess Privacy-Related Permissions: Systematic Search of Apps.
Article in JMIR diabetes, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Self-Management Support Apps for Spinal Cord Injury: Results of a Systematic Search in App Stores and Mobile App Rating Scale Evaluation.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2024Pooled it
- Understanding Device Integrations Within Diabetes Apps: Mixed Methods Analysis of App Features and User Reviews.JMIR diabetes · 2025Article
- Mobile Applications in Mood Disorders and Mental Health: Systematic Search in Apple App Store and Google Play Store and Review of the Literature.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Review
- Pulse Oximeter App Privacy Policies During COVID-19: Scoping Assessment.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2022Article
- Integrated Digital Health Solutions in the Management of Growth Disorders in Pediatric Patients Receiving Growth Hormone Therapy: A Retrospective Analysis.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2022Article
- Digital Health for Supporting Precision Medicine in Pediatric Endocrine Disorders: Opportunities for Improved Patient Care.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMobile health has become a major vehicle of support for people living with diabetes. Accordingly, the availability of mobile apps for diabetes has been steadily increasing. Most of the previous reviews of diabetes apps have focused on the apps' features and their alignment with clinical guidelines. However, there is a lack of knowledge on the actual compliance of diabetes apps with privacy and data security guidelines.
objectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the levels of privacy of mobile apps for diabetes to contribute to the raising of awareness of privacy issues for app users, developers, and governmental data protection regulators.
methodsWe developed a semiautomatic app search module capable of retrieving Android apps' privacy-related information, particularly the dangerous permissions required by apps, with the aim of analyzing privacy aspects related to diabetes apps. Following the research selection criteria, the original 882 apps were narrowed down to 497 apps that were included in the analysis.
resultsApproximately 60% of the analyzed diabetes apps requested potentially dangerous permissions, which pose a significant risk to users' data privacy. In addition, 28.4% (141/497) of the apps did not provide a website for their privacy policy. Moreover, it was found that 40.0% (199/497) of the apps contained advertising, and some apps that claimed not to contain advertisements actually did. Ninety-five percent of the apps were free, and those belonging to the "medical" and "health and fitness" categories were the most popular. However, app users do not always realize that the free apps' business model is largely based on advertising and, consequently, on sharing or selling their private data, either directly or indirectly, to unknown third parties.
conclusionsThe aforementioned findings confirm the necessity of educating patients and health care providers and raising their awareness regarding the privacy aspects of diabetes apps. Therefore, this research recommends properly and comprehensively training users, ensuring that governments and regulatory bodies enforce strict data protection laws, devising much tougher security policies and protocols in Android and in the Google Play Store, and implicating and supervising all stakeholders in the apps' development process.
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