Using Mobile Applications to Increase Physical Activity: A Systematic Review

Laura Pradal-Cano, Carolina Lozano-Ruiz, José Juan Pereyra-Rodríguez, Francesc Saigí-Rubió, Anna Bach-Faig, Laura Esquius, F. Xavier Medina and Alicia Aguilar-Martínez
Additional contact information
Laura Pradal-Cano: Information Systems, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
Carolina Lozano-Ruiz: Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), 08018 Barcelona, Spain
José Juan Pereyra-Rodríguez: UGC Dermatology, University Hospital Virgen del Rocío, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
Francesc Saigí-Rubió: Interdisciplinary Research Group on ICTs, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), 08018 Barcelona, Spain
Anna Bach-Faig: FoodLab Research Group (2017SGR 83), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), 08018 Barcelona, Spain
Laura Esquius: FoodLab Research Group (2017SGR 83), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), 08018 Barcelona, Spain
F. Xavier Medina: FoodLab Research Group (2017SGR 83), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), 08018 Barcelona, Spain
Alicia Aguilar-Martínez: FoodLab Research Group (2017SGR 83), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), 08018 Barcelona, Spain

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 21, 1-17

Abstract: Unhealthy diet and physical inactivity—major risk factors for the main non-communicable diseases—can be addressed by mobile health applications. Using an evidence-based systematic review design, we analysed studies on mobile applications to foster physical activity to determine whether they met the objective of increasing adults’ physical activity. A bibliographic search was conducted in October 2020 using PubMed, Cochrane Library Plus, Biomed Central, Psychology Database, and SpringerLink, retrieving 191 articles. After titles and abstracts were reviewed, 149 articles were excluded, leaving 42 articles for a full-text review, of which 14 met the inclusion criteria. Despite differences in study duration, design, and variables, 13 of the 14 studies reported that applications were effective in increasing physical activity and healthy habits as dietary behaviour. However, further longer-term studies with larger samples are needed to confirm the effectiveness of mobile health applications in increasing physical activity.

Keywords: physical activity; mobile health; smartphone; exercise; review; telemedicine; health promotion; health-related interventions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:21:p:8238-:d:441566

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