Mobile Fitness and Weight Management Apps: Protocol for a Quality Evaluation

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Mobile Health Interventions
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Obesity is a global health concern linked to numerous noncommunicable diseases.
• Mobile health (mHealth) apps are increasingly used for fitness and weight management.
• Rapid app development necessitates regular quality assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the quality of current fitness and weight management mobile apps using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS).
• To describe the features of these apps.
• To compare current app quality and features with a 2015 evaluation.

Main Methods:

• Systematic searches in Apple App Store and Google Play for relevant keywords.
• Inclusion of apps updated within the last five years.
• Quality rating by two independent reviewers using MARS objective and subjective subscales.
• Assessment of features in high-quality apps and description of changes over five years.

Main Results:

• Results will detail the quality assessment of fitness and weight management apps.
• Analysis will include features and behavior change techniques in high-quality apps.
• Comparison with 2015 data will highlight changes in app quality and features over time.

Conclusions:

• This study provides a timely assessment of the quality of available fitness and weight management mobile health apps.
• Findings will inform users, developers, and researchers about the current landscape of digital health tools for obesity management.