There's an app for that: content analysis of paid health and fitness apps.
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Date
2012-05-15
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The introduction of Apple s iPhone provided a platform for developers to design third party apps which greatly expanded the functionality and utility of mobile devices for public health OBJECTIVE This study provides an overview of the developers written descriptions of health and fitness apps and appraises each app s potential for influencing behavior change METHODS Data for this study came from a content analysis of health and fitness app descriptions available on iTunes during February 2011 The Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool HECAT and the Precede Proceed Model PPM were used as frameworks to guide the coding of 3336 paid apps RESULTS Compared to apps with a cost less than US 0 99 apps exceeding US 0 99 were more likely to be scored as intending to promote health or prevent disease 92 55 1925 3336 vs 83 59 1411 3336 PUnder 001 to be credible or trustworthy 91 11 1895 3336 vs 86 14 1454 3349 PUnder 001 and more likely to be used personally or recommended to a health care client 72 93 1517 2644 vs 66 77 1127 2644 PUnder 001 Apps related to healthy eating physical activity and personal health and wellness were more common than apps for substance abuse mental and emotional health violence prevention and safety and sexual and reproductive health Reinforcing apps were less common than predisposing and enabling apps Only 1 86 62 3336 of apps included all 3 factors ie predisposing enabling and reinforcing CONCLUSIONS Development efforts could target public health behaviors for which few apps currently exist Furthermore practitioners should be cautious when promoting the use of apps as it appears most provide health related information predisposing or make attempts at enabling behavior with almost none including all theoretical factors recommended for behavior change
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Functionality, Nutrition, Obesity, Mental health, Family planning and reproductive health, Safe sex, Contraception, STIs, excluding HIV, HIV/AIDS, Violence, Violence against women (inc. Rape), Intimate partner violence (IPV), Familial violence (non-IPV), Community violence, Social and behavior change communication, Health education or promotion, Appointment reminders, Treatment adherence, Installed application