ArticleAsian/Pacific Island nursing journal2025
Evaluating the Quality, Content Accuracy, and User Suitability of mHealth Prenatal Care Apps for Expectant Mothers: Critical Assessment Study.
Article in Asian/Pacific Island nursing journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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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.
- The impact of a digital self-care intervention based on mHealth on reducing sleep disorders during pregnancy: a quasi-experimental controlled study.Reproductive health · 2025Trial
- Awareness, Preferences, and Willingness to Download Pregnancy Health Management Apps Among Women in Louisiana: Cross-Sectional Survey.JMIR formative research · 2026Article
- Internet use for pregnancy-related information and its correlates among women attending antenatal care in Mogadishu, Somalia.PLOS digital health · 2026Article
- Applying a multi-level usability framework for evaluation of a pregnancy health promotion app.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2026Article
- Forty Years of Primary Health Care (PHC) in Iran: Achievements, Lessons and Future Directions.Medical journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran · 2026Article
- Quality Evaluating Mobile Health Apps for Oral Hygiene Management Using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS): A Systematic Review of Smartphone App Markets.Medical journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe proliferation of health apps in the digital health landscape has created significant opportunities for health promotion, particularly during pregnancy. However, despite the widespread distribution and popularity of pregnancy mobile apps, there are limited data on their quality and content.
objectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the quality, content accuracy, and suitability of the most popular and freely available Persian mobile health (mHealth) apps for prenatal care in expectant mothers.
methodsThrough a systematic search, a total of 199 apps were screened from available app stores using the search term "pregnancy app" until July 2023. Inclusion criteria were apps in the Farsi language, freely available, downloaded more than 10,000 times, and designed for pregnant women. Ultimately, 9 apps met these criteria. These apps were downloaded onto mobile phones and assessed by 2 independent reviewers using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS), the Coverage and Depth of Information Checklist, and the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM). Statistical analyses explored relationships between app quality metrics and user ratings.
resultsThe 9 apps evaluated had an average MARS score of 3.55 (SD 0.61) out of 5. Aesthetics (mean 4.02, SD 0.45) and Functionality (mean 4.11, SD 0.36) scored the highest, followed by Engagement (mean 3.29, SD 0.53) and Information (mean 3.09, SD 0.48). User star ratings did not strongly correlate with MARS scores (r=0.38, P>.05). Regarding health information coverage, 6 out of 9 (66.7%) apps were rated as poor, and 3 (33.3%) as adequate. For SAM, 4 (44.4%) apps were rated as superior and 5 (55.6%) as adequate. No app received a poor score.
conclusionsThe study underscores the need for improved standards in pregnancy app development to enhance educational efficacy and user satisfaction. Health care providers should recommend high-quality pregnancy apps with appropriate content to ensure effective health promotion. These findings contribute to understanding the current landscape of pregnancy apps and highlight areas for future research and regulatory attention.
trial registrationPROSPERO CRD42023461605; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=461605.
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