Nutrition-related mobile apps in the Spanish app stores: quality and content analysis
Background: Mobile apps represent accessible and cost-effective tools to improve nutrition and prevent chronic diseases. However, most of these apps have been characterized as having limited functionality, raising concerns about their effectiveness, acceptability, and efficacy. Objective: The aims o...
| Autores: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Tipo de documento: | artigo |
| Estado: | Versão publicada |
| Data de publicação: | 2024 |
| País: | España |
| Recursos: | Universidad de Valladolid |
| Repositório: | UVaDOC. Repositorio Documental de la Universidad de Valladolid |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:uvadoc.uva.es:10324/74316 |
| Acesso em linha: | https://doi.org/10.2196/52424 https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/74316 |
| Access Level: | Acceso aberto |
| Palavra-chave: | mobile apps mHealth mobile health app nutritional nutrition dietary eating diet food lifestyle Spain Spanish chronic diseases chronic review quality MARS Mobile App Rating Scale uMARS user version of the Mobile App Rating Scale assessment mobile phone |
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Nutrition-related mobile apps in the Spanish app stores: quality and content analysisFernández Lázaro, César IgnacioSantaMaría Gómez, GemaMartin Vergel, Maria I.Fernández Lázaro, Diegomobile appsmHealthmobile healthappnutritionalnutritiondietaryeatingdietfoodlifestyleSpainSpanishchronic diseaseschronicreviewqualityMARSMobile App Rating ScaleuMARSuser version of the Mobile App Rating Scaleassessmentmobile phoneBackground: Mobile apps represent accessible and cost-effective tools to improve nutrition and prevent chronic diseases. However, most of these apps have been characterized as having limited functionality, raising concerns about their effectiveness, acceptability, and efficacy. Objective: The aims of the study were to assess the quality of popular nutrition-related app platforms in Spain and to describe their characteristics and functionalities. Methods: We screened apps providing information on dietary advice, food advice, and nutritional content in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in Spain from March 2 to March 16, 2024. Apps with a star rating of ≥4 (of 5 stars), those available in Spanish, those that were free of charge, those last updated after January 2022, those with >500 reviews, and those with >500,000 downloads were included. The quality of apps was assessed using the user version of the Mobile App Rating Scale (uMARS). General characteristics and nutritional, health, and market-related functionalities of the nutrition-related apps were described. Correlations among total and uMARS sections, star ratings, and number of reviews and downloads were evaluated. Results: Among the 1460 apps identified in the search, 42 apps met the criteria. The majority of these (n=20, 48%) aimed at recording and analyzing food intake, followed by those providing nutritional plans or diets (n=9, 21%), advising on healthy habits (n=7, 17%), and offering recipes (n=6, 14%). The most prevalent nutritional functionalities offered were recording and monitoring body measurements (n=30, 71%), food tracking (n=26, 62%), and dietary analysis (n=25, 60%), whereas nutrition education was less common (n=16, 38%). Among market-related functionalities, advertisements were the most common among the study apps (n=30, 71%), followed by the option of sharing on social media (n=29, 69%) and customizable reminders (n=26, 62%). Sharing the recorded information in the app with health professionals was infrequent (n=1, 2%). The mean (SD) total uMARS score (maximum 5 points) was 3.78 (0.35), while the mean (SD) uMARS scores for functionality, aesthetics, engagement, and information were 4.21 (0.38), 3.94 (0.54), 3.51 (0.46), and 3.48 (0.44), respectively. Lower mean scores were observed for the subjective quality (mean 2.65, SD 0.56) and perceived impact (mean 3.06, SD 0.67). Moderate to strong positive significant correlations were mostly observed between total uMARS and section-specific uMARS scores, while the correlations between the uMARS section scores were mostly moderate positive. Total uMARS scores were very weakly correlated with user rating, number of reviews, and number of downloads. Conclusions: The quality of popular nutrition-related app platforms in Spain was acceptable, with observed remarkable differences between sections. The majority of the apps were appealing due to their user-friendly interfaces. Only a few apps, however, provided dietary structure analysis or nutritional education. Further research is needed to assess the long-term impact of these apps on users.Ministry of Science and Innovation, the Government of Spain, and the European Union (project PID2022-141358OBI00)2024info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfhttps://doi.org/10.2196/52424https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/74316reponame:UVaDOC. Repositorio Documental de la Universidad de Valladolidinstname:Universidad de ValladolidIngléshttps://mhealth.jmir.org/2024/1/e52424info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/oai:uvadoc.uva.es:10324/743162026-06-13T12:44:47Z |
| dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
Nutrition-related mobile apps in the Spanish app stores: quality and content analysis |
| title |
Nutrition-related mobile apps in the Spanish app stores: quality and content analysis |
| spellingShingle |
Nutrition-related mobile apps in the Spanish app stores: quality and content analysis Fernández Lázaro, César Ignacio mobile apps mHealth mobile health app nutritional nutrition dietary eating diet food lifestyle Spain Spanish chronic diseases chronic review quality MARS Mobile App Rating Scale uMARS user version of the Mobile App Rating Scale assessment mobile phone |
| title_short |
Nutrition-related mobile apps in the Spanish app stores: quality and content analysis |
| title_full |
Nutrition-related mobile apps in the Spanish app stores: quality and content analysis |
| title_fullStr |
Nutrition-related mobile apps in the Spanish app stores: quality and content analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Nutrition-related mobile apps in the Spanish app stores: quality and content analysis |
| title_sort |
Nutrition-related mobile apps in the Spanish app stores: quality and content analysis |
| dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv |
Fernández Lázaro, César Ignacio SantaMaría Gómez, Gema Martin Vergel, Maria I. Fernández Lázaro, Diego |
| author |
Fernández Lázaro, César Ignacio |
| author_facet |
Fernández Lázaro, César Ignacio SantaMaría Gómez, Gema Martin Vergel, Maria I. Fernández Lázaro, Diego |
| author_role |
author |
| author2 |
SantaMaría Gómez, Gema Martin Vergel, Maria I. Fernández Lázaro, Diego |
| author2_role |
author author author |
| dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv |
mobile apps mHealth mobile health app nutritional nutrition dietary eating diet food lifestyle Spain Spanish chronic diseases chronic review quality MARS Mobile App Rating Scale uMARS user version of the Mobile App Rating Scale assessment mobile phone |
| topic |
mobile apps mHealth mobile health app nutritional nutrition dietary eating diet food lifestyle Spain Spanish chronic diseases chronic review quality MARS Mobile App Rating Scale uMARS user version of the Mobile App Rating Scale assessment mobile phone |
| description |
Background: Mobile apps represent accessible and cost-effective tools to improve nutrition and prevent chronic diseases. However, most of these apps have been characterized as having limited functionality, raising concerns about their effectiveness, acceptability, and efficacy. Objective: The aims of the study were to assess the quality of popular nutrition-related app platforms in Spain and to describe their characteristics and functionalities. Methods: We screened apps providing information on dietary advice, food advice, and nutritional content in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in Spain from March 2 to March 16, 2024. Apps with a star rating of ≥4 (of 5 stars), those available in Spanish, those that were free of charge, those last updated after January 2022, those with >500 reviews, and those with >500,000 downloads were included. The quality of apps was assessed using the user version of the Mobile App Rating Scale (uMARS). General characteristics and nutritional, health, and market-related functionalities of the nutrition-related apps were described. Correlations among total and uMARS sections, star ratings, and number of reviews and downloads were evaluated. Results: Among the 1460 apps identified in the search, 42 apps met the criteria. The majority of these (n=20, 48%) aimed at recording and analyzing food intake, followed by those providing nutritional plans or diets (n=9, 21%), advising on healthy habits (n=7, 17%), and offering recipes (n=6, 14%). The most prevalent nutritional functionalities offered were recording and monitoring body measurements (n=30, 71%), food tracking (n=26, 62%), and dietary analysis (n=25, 60%), whereas nutrition education was less common (n=16, 38%). Among market-related functionalities, advertisements were the most common among the study apps (n=30, 71%), followed by the option of sharing on social media (n=29, 69%) and customizable reminders (n=26, 62%). Sharing the recorded information in the app with health professionals was infrequent (n=1, 2%). The mean (SD) total uMARS score (maximum 5 points) was 3.78 (0.35), while the mean (SD) uMARS scores for functionality, aesthetics, engagement, and information were 4.21 (0.38), 3.94 (0.54), 3.51 (0.46), and 3.48 (0.44), respectively. Lower mean scores were observed for the subjective quality (mean 2.65, SD 0.56) and perceived impact (mean 3.06, SD 0.67). Moderate to strong positive significant correlations were mostly observed between total uMARS and section-specific uMARS scores, while the correlations between the uMARS section scores were mostly moderate positive. Total uMARS scores were very weakly correlated with user rating, number of reviews, and number of downloads. Conclusions: The quality of popular nutrition-related app platforms in Spain was acceptable, with observed remarkable differences between sections. The majority of the apps were appealing due to their user-friendly interfaces. Only a few apps, however, provided dietary structure analysis or nutritional education. Further research is needed to assess the long-term impact of these apps on users. |
| publishDate |
2024 |
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2024 |
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info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
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article |
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publishedVersion |
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https://doi.org/10.2196/52424 https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/74316 |
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https://doi.org/10.2196/52424 https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/74316 |
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Inglés |
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Inglés |
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https://mhealth.jmir.org/2024/1/e52424 |
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info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ |
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openAccess |
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http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ |
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