Mobile Apps for the Management of Comorbid Overweight/Obesity and Depression/Anxiety: A Systematic Review

Objective. This review aimed at searching for scientific literature on mobile apps for the management of comorbid overweight/obesity and depression/anxiety and providing a brief and comprehensive summary of their main features, targeted groups, and relevant results. Methods. A bibliographical search was performed in Pubmed, PsycNet, Web of Science, ResearchGate, and Lilacs databases. The terms “obesity” and “overweight” were introduced in combination with “anxiety” and “depression” and “mobile app (application),” “smartphone app (application),” “android app (applicattion),” “iOS app (application),” “mobile health app (application),” and “mHealth app (application).” Results. The initial search eliciting 204 citations was reduced to 7 relevant papers (4 original articles, 1 brief communication, and 2 study protocols). All publications were from the last five years, most were produced by research teams from the United States. All had adult samples, and interventions mostly followed a cognitive behavioral framework. Regarding mobile apps, five studies only used one to monitor weight and physical activity, one study to provide therapy to improve psychological wellness, and one study to monitor cognitions and emotions. No mobile app was found for the simultaneous management of overweight/obesity and depression/anxiety. Conclusions. The prevalence and costs related to overweight/obesity and depression/anxiety are significant and likely to increase. Very often these conditions overlap; thus, it would be recommendable to treat their comorbidity simultaneously. Nevertheless, no mobile app has been designed for this purpose, which would help to reduce service provision costs and make treatment more easily accessible for patients.

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Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologists’ Use of Mobile Health Technology: Qualitative Questionnaire Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.13966 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Kelsey Thompson ◽

Emily Zimmerman

Keyword(s):

Parent Education ◽

Technology Use ◽

Online Survey ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Clinical Work ◽

The United States ◽

Mobile App ◽

Future Research ◽

Age Group ◽

Speech Language Pathologists

BACKGROUND While technology use in pediatric therapies is increasing, there is so far no research available focusing on how pediatric speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in the United States use technology. OBJECTIVE This paper sought to determine if, and to what extent, pediatric SLPs are using mobile apps, to determine what purpose they are using them for, and to identify gaps in available technology to provide guidance for future technological development. METHODS Pediatric SLPs completed an online survey containing five sections: demographics, overall use, use in assessment, use in intervention, barriers, and future directions. RESULTS Mobile app use by 485 pediatric SLPs in the clinical setting was analyzed. Most (364/438; 83.1%) pediatric SLPs reported using technology ≤50% of the time in their clinical work, with no differences evident by age group (<35 years and ≥35 years; <italic>P</italic>=.97). Pediatric SLPs are currently using apps for intervention (399/1105; 36.1%), clinical information (241/1105; 21.8%), parent education (151/1105; 13.7%), assessment (132/1105; 12%), client education (108/1105; 9.8%), and other uses (55/1105; 5.0%). Cost (46/135; 34.1%) and lack of an evidence base (36/135; 26.7%) were the most frequently reported barriers. Most SLPs (268/380; 70.7%) desired more technology use, with no difference evident by age group (<italic>P</italic>=.81). CONCLUSIONS A majority of pediatric SLPs are using mobile apps less than 50% of the time in a pediatric setting and they use them more during intervention compared to assessment. While pediatric SLPs are hesitant to add to their client’s screen time, they would like more apps to be developed that are supported by research and are less expensive. Implications for future research and app development are also discussed.

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Losing Control to Data-Hungry Apps: A Mixed-Methods Approach to Mobile App Privacy

Social Science Computer Review ◽

10.1177/0894439318777706 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 37 (4) ◽

pp. 466-488 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Petter Bae Brandtzaeg ◽

Antoine Pultier ◽

Gro Mette Moen

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Data Sharing ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Personal Data ◽

The United States ◽

Mobile App ◽

Third Party ◽

User Survey ◽

Privacy Policies ◽

Mixed Methods Approach

Personal data from mobile apps are increasingly impacting users’ lives and privacy perceptions. However, there is a scarcity of research addressing the combination of (1) individual perceptions of mobile app privacy, (2) actual dataflows in apps, and (3) how such perceptions and dataflows relate to actual privacy policies and terms of use in mobile apps. To address these limitations, we conducted an innovative mixed-methods study including a representative user survey in Norway, an analysis of personal dataflows in apps, and content analysis of privacy policies of 21 popular, free Android mobile apps. Our findings show that more than half the respondents in the user survey repeatedly had refrained from downloading or using apps to avoid sharing personal data. Our analysis of dataflows applied a novel methodology measuring activity in the apps over time (48 hr). The investigation showed that 19 of the 21 apps investigated transmitted personal data to a total of approximately 600 different primary and third-party domains. From an European perspective, it is particularly noteworthy that most of these domains were associated with tech companies in the United States, where privacy laws are less strict than companies operating from Europe. The investigation further revealed that some apps by default track and share user data continuously, even when the app is not in use. For some of these, the terms of use provided with the apps did not inform the users about the actual tracking practice. A comparison of terms of use as provided in the studied apps with actual person dataflows as identified in the analysis disclosed that three of the apps shared data in violation with their provided terms of use. A possible solution for the mobile app industry, to strengthen user trust, is privacy by design through opt-in data sharing with the service and third parties and more granular information on personal data sharing practices. Also, based on the findings from this study, we suggest specific visualizations to enhance transparency of personal dataflows in mobile apps. A methodological contribution is that a mixed-methods approach strengthens our understanding of the complexity of privacy issues in mobile apps.

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Mobile App Usage Patterns of Patients Prescribed a Smoking Cessation Medicine: Prospective Observational Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.9115 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Marianna Bruno ◽

Marcia Wright ◽

Christine L Baker ◽

Birol Emir ◽

Eric Carda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Smoking Cessation ◽

Real World ◽

User Satisfaction ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Treatment Options ◽

The United States ◽

Mobile App ◽

Ease Of Use ◽

Real World Data ◽

Pharmacy Claims

BACKGROUND Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death and is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in the United States. Smoking cessation is challenging for many patients. Regardless of available treatment options, most quit attempts are unaided, and it takes multiple attempts before a patient is successful. With the ever-increasing use of smartphones, mobile apps hold promise in supporting cessation efforts. This study evaluates the ease of use and user satisfaction with the Pfizer Meds app to support smoking cessation among patients prescribed varenicline (Chantix). OBJECTIVE Study participants included varenicline users who downloaded and used the app on their personal smartphone. The main objectives were to report mobile app download frequency and usage details and to describe the participant-reported satisfaction with and usefulness of the app over the 14-week follow-up study period. METHODS Adults aged 18 years or older who had been prescribed varenicline were identified from the Express Scripts Incorporated pharmacy claims database. After meeting privacy restrictions, subjects were sent an invitation letter and second reminder letter with instructions on how to download the Pfizer Meds mobile app. Participants received a push notification to complete a smartphone-enabled survey regarding the utility of the app 12 weeks after downloading the app. Descriptive statistics summarized sociodemographics, use of varenicline, and details of use and satisfaction with the mobile app. RESULTS Of the 38,129 varenicline users who were sent invitation letters, 1281 participants (3.35%) downloaded the Pfizer Meds app. Of the 1032 users with demographic and other data, 585 (56.68%) were females, and 446 (43.22%) were males; mean age was 46.4 years (SD 10.8). The mean number of app sessions per participant was 4.0 (SD 6.8). The end-of-study survey was completed by 131 survey respondents (10.23%, 131/1281); a large number of participants (117/131, 89.3%) reported being extremely, very, or moderately satisfied with the app. A total of 97 survey respondents (97/131, 74.0%) reported setting up a quit date in the app. Of those, 74 (74/97, 76%) reported quitting on their quit date. CONCLUSIONS Positive patient engagement was observed in this study based on app download and usage. This study quantified how the Pfizer Meds app performed in an observational real-world data setting. The findings demonstrate the willingness of participants to set a quit date and use the app for support in medication adherence, refill reminders, and information regarding how to take the medication. This study provides real-world evidence of the contribution apps can make to the continued encouragement of smokers to improve their health by smoking cessation.

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Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologists’ Use of Mobile Health Technology: Qualitative Questionnaire Study

JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies ◽

10.2196/13966 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. e13966

Author(s):

Kelsey Thompson ◽

Emily Zimmerman

Keyword(s):

Parent Education ◽

Technology Use ◽

Online Survey ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Clinical Work ◽

The United States ◽

Mobile App ◽

Future Research ◽

Age Group ◽

Speech Language Pathologists

Background While technology use in pediatric therapies is increasing, there is so far no research available focusing on how pediatric speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in the United States use technology. Objective This paper sought to determine if, and to what extent, pediatric SLPs are using mobile apps, to determine what purpose they are using them for, and to identify gaps in available technology to provide guidance for future technological development. Methods Pediatric SLPs completed an online survey containing five sections: demographics, overall use, use in assessment, use in intervention, barriers, and future directions. Results Mobile app use by 485 pediatric SLPs in the clinical setting was analyzed. Most (364/438; 83.1%) pediatric SLPs reported using technology ≤50% of the time in their clinical work, with no differences evident by age group (<35 years and ≥35 years; P=.97). Pediatric SLPs are currently using apps for intervention (399/1105; 36.1%), clinical information (241/1105; 21.8%), parent education (151/1105; 13.7%), assessment (132/1105; 12%), client education (108/1105; 9.8%), and other uses (55/1105; 5.0%). Cost (46/135; 34.1%) and lack of an evidence base (36/135; 26.7%) were the most frequently reported barriers. Most SLPs (268/380; 70.7%) desired more technology use, with no difference evident by age group (P=.81). Conclusions A majority of pediatric SLPs are using mobile apps less than 50% of the time in a pediatric setting and they use them more during intervention compared to assessment. While pediatric SLPs are hesitant to add to their client’s screen time, they would like more apps to be developed that are supported by research and are less expensive. Implications for future research and app development are also discussed.

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Medical literature on mobile applications related to cancer.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2017.35.15_suppl.e18044 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 35 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e18044-e18044

Author(s):

Andrea Carolina Anampa-Guzman ◽

Pamela Contreras Chavez ◽

César Gutiérrez ◽

Joanne M. Jeter

Keyword(s):

Mobile Applications ◽

Smartphone Application ◽

The United States ◽

Mobile App ◽

Medical Community ◽

Intended Audience ◽

Study Protocols ◽

Skin Cancers ◽

Health Related ◽

Almost All

e18044 Background: In 2014, there existed 166 mobile applications related to cancer. However, many mobile applications are being developed without published validation by the medical community. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of the studies about mobile applications related to cancer. Methods: Scopus, PubMed, PMC, BVS and Scielo were systematically searched for studies published up to December 2016. A broad search using the terms “neoplasia”, “cancer”, “neoplasm”, “smartphone application” and “mobile app” was conducted. Article abstracts were reviewed for study eligibility, followed by reviews of full papers. We found 195 articles and 48 were included. Articles were included if they reviewed commercial mobile applications or if they described the development and evaluation of a mobile application related to cancer. Articles were excluded if they were about other telehealth technologies, primarily editorials, solely described study protocols, abstracts of congresses or books. Results: The earliest article was published in 2012 and there is an increasing rate of articles published. The majority of articles are original articles (85.42%) and 10 of them are clinical trials. Almost all articles were written in English (95.83%). Nearly 40% of the articles talked about mobile applications for the management of cancer. The intended audience of the mobile applications described in the studies was mostly patients. The cancers most popular among the articles were breast and skin cancers. The countries with the most studies on mobile applications related to cancer are the United States and South Korea. Conclusions: There is a large number of cancer related mobile applications. Further studies would help us understand the current and future use of these health related technologies. [Table: see text]

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Parents’ Perceptions of Their Children’s Engagement in a Consumer-Based Meditation Mobile App: Cross-Sectional Survey Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.24536 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Megan Puzia ◽

Breanne Laird ◽

Jeni Green ◽

Jennifer Huberty

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mindfulness Meditation ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

The United States ◽

Mobile App ◽

Survey Study ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Breathing Exercises ◽

Children’S Sleep

BACKGROUND In the United States, nearly half (48%) of school-aged children experience sleep disturbance that results in less than the recommended sleep duration, which may negatively impact mental health and behavior. Mindfulness interventions may improve sleep and mental health in youth. However, there are gaps in the literature regarding how children (2-12 years) and adolescents (13-17 years) practice mindfulness and the extent to which they benefit from these practices. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine parents’ perceptions of their children’s engagement with a consumer-based mindfulness meditation app and the extent to which they believe their children have benefitted from using the app, particularly with regard to sleep. METHODS This study is a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional survey in adult subscribers (N=11,108) to the mindfulness meditation mobile app Calm. Participants who indicated that they had a child or children younger than 18 years (2944/11,108) who used the Calm app were asked additional questions related to their perceptions of their children’s engagement with Calm. Descriptive statistics were used to assess children’s app engagement, and chi-square tests and binary logistic regression models were used to assess differences in children’s usage based on gender and age. RESULTS Among the survey respondents, approximately half of the parents (1537/2944, 52.21%) reported that their children used Calm. Children used Calm mostly for (1) sleep (1168/1537, 75.99%), (2) stress (491/1537, 31.95%), (3) depression or anxiety (430/1537, 27.98%), and (4) improvement of overall health (215/1537,13.99%). Older children were more likely to begin using Calm to reduce stress, depression, or anxiety, whereas younger children were more likely begin using Calm to improve sleep. Most children used Calm when lying down to go to bed (1113/1529, 72.79%). Children were most likely to use sleep stories at night (1144/1207, 94.78%), followed by music and soundscapes (749/1114, 67.24%), meditations (736/1120, 65.71%), and breathing exercises (610/1092, 55.86%). Nearly all parents believed that using sleep stories was helpful for their children’s sleep (1090/1128, 96.63%), and the majority of parents felt that the other components were also helpful for their children’s sleep (music and soundscapes [570/728, 78.30%], meditations [445/696, 63.94%], and breathing exercises [610/1092, 55.86%]). CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore parents’ perceptions of how their children or adolescents use a popular consumer-based mindfulness mobile app (ie, Calm). As the majority of children use the app for sleep, mindfulness meditation mobile apps should consider incorporating age-appropriate sleep content to meet the needs of this audience. More research is needed to confirm the feasibility and effectiveness of mindfulness meditation apps for improving sleep and mental health in children and adolescents.

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A galaxy of apps: Mobile app reliance and the indirect influence on political participation through political discussion and trust

Mobile Media & Communication ◽

10.1177/20501579211012430 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 205015792110124

Author(s):

Thomas J. Johnson ◽

Magdalena Saldaña ◽

Barb K. Kaye

Keyword(s):

Political Participation ◽

Online Discussion ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

The United States ◽

Mobile App ◽

Path Model ◽

Political Discussion ◽

Cognitive Elaboration ◽

Orientation Stimulus ◽

Online Political Participation

The power of app-driven mobile phones was first unleashed in 2011 when they were used to mobilize protesters and gain support for political movements in the United States and abroad. Mobile devices have since become the bedrock of political activism. To examine the influence of app reliance on offline and online political participation, this study builds on the Orientation-Stimulus-Reasoning-Orientation-Response (O-S-R-O-R) model by (a) applying the model to mobile apps, (b) testing whether trust in, and reliance on political discussion are mediators between reliance on apps and political participation, and (c) using trust in both offline and online discussion as measures of cognitive elaboration. This study’s path model suggests that app reliance is related to online political discussion, which, in turn, is related to online political participation, but not offline participation. Although both offline and online discussion are linked to offline and online trust in political discussion, trust in political discussion does not influence either offline or online political participation.

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Developing Sustainable and Impactful Mobile Phone HIV Testing Interventions for Spanish-Speaking Men Who Have Sex With Men in the United States: Lessons Learned From Informative Interviews (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.8992 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Jason Mitchell ◽

Maria Beatriz Torres ◽

Lucy Asmar ◽

Thu Danh ◽

Keith J Horvath

Keyword(s):

Hiv Testing ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

The United States ◽

Mobile App ◽

Smartphone Apps ◽

Personal Interest ◽

Spanish Speaking ◽

English Speaking ◽

Sex With Men ◽

Over Time

BACKGROUND Although many men who have sex with men (MSM) test for HIV at least once in their lifetime, opportunities to improve regular HIV testing, particularly among Hispanic or Latino MSM, is needed. Many mHealth interventions in development, including the ones on HIV testing, have primarily focused on English-speaking white, black, and MSM of other races. To date, no studies have assessed app use, attitudes, and motivations for downloading and sustaining use of mobile apps and preferences with respect to HIV prevention among Spanish-speaking, Hispanic MSM in the United States. OBJECTIVE The primary aims of this study were to determine what features and functions of smartphone apps do Hispanic, Spanish-speaking MSM believe are associated with downloading apps to their smartphones, (2) what features and functions of smartphone apps are most likely to influence men’s sustained use of apps over time, and (3) what features and functions do men prefer in a smartphone app aimed to promote regular testing for HIV. METHODS Interviews (N=15) were conducted with a racially diverse group of sexually active, HIV-negative, Spanish-speaking, Hispanic MSM in Miami, Florida. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, translated back to English, and de-identified for analysis. A constant-comparison method (ie, grounded theory coding) was employed to examine themes that emerged from the interviews. RESULTS Personal interest was the primary reason associated with whether men downloaded an app. Keeping personal information secure, cost, influence by peers and posted reviews, ease of use, and functionality affected whether they downloaded and used the app over time. Men also reported that entertainment value and frequency of updates influenced whether they kept and continued to use an app over time. There were 4 reasons why participants chose to delete an app—dislike, lack of use, cost, and lack of memory or space. Participants also shared their preferences for an app to encourage regular HIV testing by providing feedback on test reminders, tailored testing interval recommendations, HIV test locator, and monitoring of personal sexual behaviors. CONCLUSIONS The features and functions of mobile apps that Spanish-speaking MSM in this study believed were associated with downloading and/or sustained engagement of an app generally reflected the priorities mentioned in an earlier study with English-speaking MSM. Unlike the earlier study, Spanish-speaking MSM prioritized personal interest in a mobile app and de-emphasized the efficiency of an app to make their lives easier in their decision to download an app to their mobile device. Tailoring mobile apps to the language and needs of Spanish-speaking MSM is critical to help increase their willingness to download a mobile app. Despite the growing number of HIV-prevention apps in development, few are tailored to Spanish-speaking MSM, representing an important gap that should be addressed in future research.

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Analytics for measuring library use and satisfaction of mobile apps

Library Hi Tech News ◽

10.1108/lhtn-04-2021-0014 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Simran Kaur ◽

Rupak Chakravarty

Keyword(s):

Design Methodology ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Mobile App ◽

Content Type ◽

Library Use ◽

Artificial Intelligence Algorithm ◽

Android App ◽

Google Play ◽

Insight Into ◽

User Review

Purpose User review is a significant component of mobile app markets such as the Google Play Store, App Store, Microsoft Store and others. Users submit their reviews for downloaded apps on these sites in the form of star ratings and text reviews. Apps can contain huge volumes of feedback, making it difficult for the user and the developer to skim through thousands of such reviews to get an insight into usage and impact of such apps. Thus, the current study aims to assess the usage and satisfaction among users of the Mendeley’s Android app vs iOS app. Design/methodology/approach The analytics are performed by using Appbot analytics software which captured, monitored, measured and analyzed the review results for a particular period. Appbot provides easy-to-understand insights of an app using artificial intelligence algorithm tools. Findings The findings of the study reveal strong inclination, adoption and usage of Mendeley’s Android app compared to that of iOS among users. Originality/value The value of this research is in getting an insight of the pattern/behavior of users towards using apps on different platforms (Android vs iOS) and provides valuable results for the app developers in monitoring usage and enhancing features for the satisfaction of users. Without mobile app analytics, one will be blindly trying out different things without any evidence to back up their experiments.

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Parents’ Perceptions of Their Children’s Engagement in a Consumer-Based Meditation Mobile App: Cross-Sectional Survey Study

JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting ◽

10.2196/24536 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. e24536

Author(s):

Megan Puzia ◽

Breanne Laird ◽

Jeni Green ◽

Jennifer Huberty

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mindfulness Meditation ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

The United States ◽

Mobile App ◽

Survey Study ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Breathing Exercises ◽

Children’S Sleep

Background In the United States, nearly half (48%) of school-aged children experience sleep disturbance that results in less than the recommended sleep duration, which may negatively impact mental health and behavior. Mindfulness interventions may improve sleep and mental health in youth. However, there are gaps in the literature regarding how children (2-12 years) and adolescents (13-17 years) practice mindfulness and the extent to which they benefit from these practices. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine parents’ perceptions of their children’s engagement with a consumer-based mindfulness meditation app and the extent to which they believe their children have benefitted from using the app, particularly with regard to sleep. Methods This study is a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional survey in adult subscribers (N=11,108) to the mindfulness meditation mobile app Calm. Participants who indicated that they had a child or children younger than 18 years (2944/11,108) who used the Calm app were asked additional questions related to their perceptions of their children’s engagement with Calm. Descriptive statistics were used to assess children’s app engagement, and chi-square tests and binary logistic regression models were used to assess differences in children’s usage based on gender and age. Results Among the survey respondents, approximately half of the parents (1537/2944, 52.21%) reported that their children used Calm. Children used Calm mostly for (1) sleep (1168/1537, 75.99%), (2) stress (491/1537, 31.95%), (3) depression or anxiety (430/1537, 27.98%), and (4) improvement of overall health (215/1537,13.99%). Older children were more likely to begin using Calm to reduce stress, depression, or anxiety, whereas younger children were more likely begin using Calm to improve sleep. Most children used Calm when lying down to go to bed (1113/1529, 72.79%). Children were most likely to use sleep stories at night (1144/1207, 94.78%), followed by music and soundscapes (749/1114, 67.24%), meditations (736/1120, 65.71%), and breathing exercises (610/1092, 55.86%). Nearly all parents believed that using sleep stories was helpful for their children’s sleep (1090/1128, 96.63%), and the majority of parents felt that the other components were also helpful for their children’s sleep (music and soundscapes [570/728, 78.30%], meditations [445/696, 63.94%], and breathing exercises [610/1092, 55.86%]). Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore parents’ perceptions of how their children or adolescents use a popular consumer-based mindfulness mobile app (ie, Calm). As the majority of children use the app for sleep, mindfulness meditation mobile apps should consider incorporating age-appropriate sleep content to meet the needs of this audience. More research is needed to confirm the feasibility and effectiveness of mindfulness meditation apps for improving sleep and mental health in children and adolescents.

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