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Visualization of Intensity Levels to Reduce the Gap Between Self-Reported and Directly Measured Physical Activity
Published on: March 7, 2019
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Relationship between popularity and the likely efficacy: an observational study based on a random selection on
Paulina Bondaronek1, April Slee2, Fiona L Hamilton3
1eHealth Unit, Research Department of Primary Care and Population Health, University College London, London, UK p.bondaronek@ucl.ac.uk.
BMJ Open
|November 16, 2019
Summary
Mobile apps for physical activity (PA) popularity, measured by user ratings, does not correlate with their effectiveness, indicated by behavior change techniques (BCTs). Market forces alone are unlikely to drive public health improvements through PA apps.
Area of Science:
- Digital Health
- Behavioral Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Mobile applications (apps) are increasingly used for physical activity (PA) promotion.
- Assessing the effectiveness of popular PA apps is crucial for public health initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between the popularity of physical activity apps and their likely efficacy.
- To determine if user ratings correlate with the presence of behavior change techniques (BCTs) within apps.
Main Methods:
- An observational study screened 400 top-ranked free and paid apps from iTunes and Google Play.
- Apps targeting PA with stand-alone functionality were assessed for user ratings (high: 4-5 stars, low: 1-3 stars) and the number of BCTs present.
Main Results:
- No significant relationship was found between app star ratings and the number of BCTs, nor between ratings and effective BCTs for increasing PA.
- App store platform was associated with ratings; iTunes apps were less likely to receive high ratings compared to Google Play apps.
Conclusions:
- App popularity, indicated by user ratings, does not reliably predict the effectiveness of physical activity apps.
- Relying solely on market forces to guide the public's choice of PA apps may hinder public health impact.
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