TY - JOUR
T1 - Effectiveness of interventions using apps to improve physical activity, sedentary behavior and diet
T2 - An umbrella review
AU - Rodriguez Gonzalez, Pablo
AU - Iglesias, Damián
AU - Fernandez-Rio, Javier
AU - Gao, Zan
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2023/2
Y1 - 2023/2
N2 - Technology has been recently found to be an effective tool to deliver public health interventions [1]. More specifically, the effects of interventions using apps to improve health have been targeted lately [2]. The goal of the present study was to conduct a systematic review of systematic reviews to summarize the scientific evidence. Three research questions were formulated to guide the research: RQ1. Are interventions using apps effective to improve PA? RQ2. Are interventions using apps effective to improve sedentary behavior? RQ3. Are interventions using apps effective to improve diet? This review of reviews was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022345909). Systematic reviews were included following the PICOTS framework (population, intervention, comparator, outcomes, time and setting). In addition, reviews with several research objectives were included only when they comprised more than two-thirds of the studies analyzing one or more of the objectives of this review. As a result, 12 systematic reviews were selected for data extraction. Findings uncovered that apps could be effective to improve individuals’ PA, sedentary behavior and diet. However, elements like the intervention components, the context/environment/setting, the length of the intervention or the population targeted should be carefully considered in future studies.
AB - Technology has been recently found to be an effective tool to deliver public health interventions [1]. More specifically, the effects of interventions using apps to improve health have been targeted lately [2]. The goal of the present study was to conduct a systematic review of systematic reviews to summarize the scientific evidence. Three research questions were formulated to guide the research: RQ1. Are interventions using apps effective to improve PA? RQ2. Are interventions using apps effective to improve sedentary behavior? RQ3. Are interventions using apps effective to improve diet? This review of reviews was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022345909). Systematic reviews were included following the PICOTS framework (population, intervention, comparator, outcomes, time and setting). In addition, reviews with several research objectives were included only when they comprised more than two-thirds of the studies analyzing one or more of the objectives of this review. As a result, 12 systematic reviews were selected for data extraction. Findings uncovered that apps could be effective to improve individuals’ PA, sedentary behavior and diet. However, elements like the intervention components, the context/environment/setting, the length of the intervention or the population targeted should be carefully considered in future studies.
KW - Health
KW - Public health
KW - Technology
KW - mHealth
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85143680149&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ctcp.2022.101711
DO - 10.1016/j.ctcp.2022.101711
M3 - Review article
C2 - 36509032
AN - SCOPUS:85143680149
SN - 1744-3881
VL - 50
JO - Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice
JF - Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice
M1 - 101711
ER -