Mobile Phone Applications in Primary Prevention: a Systematic Review of the Evidence.
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Abstract
Background
Primary prevention is one of the most important area of action for improving the population’s health condition and general well-being. The great diffusion of modern technologies calls for the adoption of new strategies and methods of communication for modifying bad and unhealthy habits in order to obtain long-term changes in people’s behavior and lifestyle. Very little is known about the usefulness of mobile phone applications (Apps) in health and even less in primary prevention.
Objective: The aim of the study was to perform a systematic review of the evidence on the efficacy of Apps for primary prevention.
Methods
Pubmed, Embase and Google Scholar searches were carried out up to January 2014, with no publication time limits and using different combination of search-terms (i.e primary prevention and mobile/cell phone applications/mHealth). We focused on Apps dealing with primary prevention and we selected articles with original data. The research was carried out according to Prisma Statement.
Results
We retrieved 6969 records and we screened a total of 20 articles fitting the inclusion criteria. We selected 7 descriptive studies focused on the validation of Apps, 6 prospective studies lacking of a control group, 2 case-control studies and 5 randomized control trials (RCT). The articles identified covered mainly Apps on health promotion, particularly physical activity (n=8), wellness/weight management (n=7), nutrition (n=3), mental health management (n=1) and falls prevention (n=1). Overall the results seem to be in agreement about the usefulness of these Apps on modifying lifestyle and people are motivated to follow fitness and or nutrition programs. Positive experiences are reported also mental health managements and in the prevention of falls in elderly.
Conclusions
Despite these positive results, the scientific evidence on the efficacy of Apps in health promotion is still limited. It should be undelined that the evaluation of an actual effect of health promotion undoubtedly take a long time, but most of the studies considered, has a follow-up too short (from 1 to 12 months) and a sample size too small (less than 100 subjects) to show the actual effectiveness of apps in primary prevention. In addition we found few studies (only 5 RCT) with a study design suitable to provide a scientific evidence.
Primary prevention is one of the most important area of action for improving the population’s health condition and general well-being. The great diffusion of modern technologies calls for the adoption of new strategies and methods of communication for modifying bad and unhealthy habits in order to obtain long-term changes in people’s behavior and lifestyle. Very little is known about the usefulness of mobile phone applications (Apps) in health and even less in primary prevention.
Objective: The aim of the study was to perform a systematic review of the evidence on the efficacy of Apps for primary prevention.
Methods
Pubmed, Embase and Google Scholar searches were carried out up to January 2014, with no publication time limits and using different combination of search-terms (i.e primary prevention and mobile/cell phone applications/mHealth). We focused on Apps dealing with primary prevention and we selected articles with original data. The research was carried out according to Prisma Statement.
Results
We retrieved 6969 records and we screened a total of 20 articles fitting the inclusion criteria. We selected 7 descriptive studies focused on the validation of Apps, 6 prospective studies lacking of a control group, 2 case-control studies and 5 randomized control trials (RCT). The articles identified covered mainly Apps on health promotion, particularly physical activity (n=8), wellness/weight management (n=7), nutrition (n=3), mental health management (n=1) and falls prevention (n=1). Overall the results seem to be in agreement about the usefulness of these Apps on modifying lifestyle and people are motivated to follow fitness and or nutrition programs. Positive experiences are reported also mental health managements and in the prevention of falls in elderly.
Conclusions
Despite these positive results, the scientific evidence on the efficacy of Apps in health promotion is still limited. It should be undelined that the evaluation of an actual effect of health promotion undoubtedly take a long time, but most of the studies considered, has a follow-up too short (from 1 to 12 months) and a sample size too small (less than 100 subjects) to show the actual effectiveness of apps in primary prevention. In addition we found few studies (only 5 RCT) with a study design suitable to provide a scientific evidence.
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