ArticleFrontiers in public health2022
A Comparison of Functional Features of Chinese and US Mobile Apps for Pregnancy and Postnatal Care: A Systematic App Store Search and Content Analysis.
Article in Frontiers in public health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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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
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- A socio-ecological model of factors influencing physical activity in pregnant women: a systematic review.Frontiers in public health · 2023Pooled it
- Trial
- Effectiveness of Mobile Applications for Promoting Healthy and Active Lifestyles During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period: A Systematic Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- A Qualitative Study on Pregnant Women's Perceptions and Needs for Developing a WeChat Mini-Program for Physical Activity Management During Pregnancy.International journal of women's health · 2026Article
- Exploring user profiles and preferences for mobile apps promoting active lifestyles during pregnancy and postpartum: cross-sectional study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Evaluation scale and behavioral model construction for intention to use postpartum exercise rehabilitation mobile application based on user experience.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Understanding and Involving the Perspective of Pregnant Women as Users When Designing the Framework of e-Health and Exercise Interventions during Pregnancy: Preliminary Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- App-Supported Lifestyle Interventions in Pregnancy to Manage Gestational Weight Gain and Prevent Gestational Diabetes: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Article
- A mixed-methods study exploring women's perceptions and recommendations for a pregnancy app with monitoring tools.NPJ digital medicine · 2023Article
- Quality of Mobile Apps for Child Development Support: Search in App Stores and Content Analysis.JMIR pediatrics and parenting · 2022Article
- Pregnancy Activity Levels and Impediments in the Era of COVID-19 Based on the Health Belief Model: A Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPregnancy to postpartum (PtP) applications (apps) are becoming more common tools to document everything from pregnancy and delivery to nutrient allocation, life taboos, and infant medical examinations. However, the dependability, quality, and efficacy of these apps remain unclear. This study examined the features and functions of mobile PtP care apps accessible in China and the United States and to identify the major gaps that need to be addressed.
methodsApps were selected by searching the Apple App Store and Android Markets (in the US and China) for the terms "pregnancy" and "postpartum" in Chinese and English. The apps' security, quality, and effectiveness were investigated, and chi-square tests and analysis of variance were performed to examine the differences in characteristics between apps available in the US and China.
resultsA total of 84 mobile PtP care apps (45 from the US and 39 from China) were included. A total of 89.7% (35/39) of Chinese mobile apps did not provide safety statements or supporting evidence. The objective app quality ratings for Chinese and US apps were 3.20 ± 0.48 (mean ± standard deviation) and 3.56 ± 0.45, respectively (
conclusionsThe functionality and characteristics of in-store mobile apps for PtP care varied between China and the US. Both countries' apps, particularly Chinese apps, encountered issues related to a lack of evidence-based information, acceptable content risk, and program evaluations. Both countries' apps lacked proper mental health care functions. The findings suggest that the design of app features should be enhanced in both countries, and increased interaction between app creators and users is recommended.
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