An mHealth Intervention Promoting Physical Activity and Healthy Eating in a Family Setting (SMARTFAMILY): Randomized...

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Behavioral Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Limited evidence exists on mobile health (mHealth) app effectiveness for behavior change in children and adolescents.
• Family settings significantly influence individual health behaviors, necessitating family-centered mHealth interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the SMARTFAMILY (SF) mobile health intervention.
• To assess the impact of a theory- and evidence-based app on physical activity and healthy eating within a family context.

Main Methods:

• A cluster randomized controlled trial evaluated the SF app, which incorporated behavior change theories and techniques.
• Primary outcomes included self-reported and accelerometry-measured physical activity and self-reported fruit and vegetable intake.
• Secondary outcomes assessed intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, and family health climate, with follow-up measurements to determine intervention effect stability.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant increases in physical activity or healthy eating were observed in the intervention group compared to the control group.
• The study included 48 families, with 88 participants in the intervention group and 68 in the control group.

Conclusions:

• The SF intervention, despite its theoretical basis, did not significantly improve physical activity or healthy eating levels.
• Intervention effectiveness was limited by participants' high baseline activity levels and a wide age range; future apps should consider health literacy and adaptive interventions.