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A systematic appraisal of the information, engagement, aesthetic and functional quality of nutrition-related smartphone apps for children and adolescents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 March 2023

Lucine Francis*
Affiliation:
Center for Community Programs, Innovation, and Scholarship, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Erin M Spaulding
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA Digital Health Innovation Laboratory, Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, The Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
India Bloom
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Alisha Patel
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Nancy Perrin
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
*
*Corresponding author: Email lfranc12@jhu.edu
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Abstract

Objective:

Nutrition-related smartphone applications (apps) could improve children’s nutrition knowledge and skills. However, little is known about the quality of nutrition-related apps for children. This study aimed to identify and evaluate the quality of nutrition-related smartphone apps designed for children ages 4–17.

Design:

This systematic appraisal is guided by the Protocol for App Store Systematic Reviews.

Setting:

Using Google’s Advanced Search, we identified 1814 apps/1184 additional apps in an updated search on iOS, of which twenty-four were eligible. The apps’ objective and subjective quality were evaluated using the twenty-three-item, five-point Mobile App Rating Scale. The objective quality scale consists of four subscales: engagement, functionality, aesthetics and information.

Results:

Most of the apps (75 %) focussed solely on promoting nutrition skills, such as making food dishes, rather than nutrition knowledge. Of the twenty-four apps, 83 % targeted children 4–8 years old. The app objective quality mean score was 3·60 ± 0·41. The subscale mean scores were 3·20 ± 0·41 for engagement, 4·24 ± 0·47 for functionality, 4·03 ± 0·51 for aesthetics and 2·94 ± 0·62 for information. The app subjective quality mean score was 2·10 ± 0·90.

Conclusions:

More robust approaches to app development leveraging co-design approaches, including involving a multidisciplinary team of experts to provide evidence-based nutrition information, are warranted.

Information

Type
Systematic Review
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society
Figure 0

Fig. 1 Protocol for App Store Systematic Reviews Diagram Depicting the Flow of Apps

Figure 1

Table 1 Summary of App characteristics

Figure 2

Table 2 Individual App characteristics and overall and Subscale mobile App rating scores (n 24)

Supplementary material: File

Francis et al. supplementary material

Table S1

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Francis et al. supplementary material

Francis et al. supplementary material 2

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