Abstract
BackgroundThere is increasing recognition that personalized approaches may be more effective in helping people establish healthier eating patterns and exercise more, and that this approach may be particularly effective in adolescents.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to investigate the use of a smartphone app (FoodWiz2) in supporting healthy lifestyle choices in adolescence.MethodsParticipants (N=34: 11 male, 23 female) aged 16-19 years in full- or part-time education were recruited from sixth form colleges, schools, and other further education establishments in Norfolk and Suffolk, United Kingdom, between February and May 2015. Participants recorded food intake and exercise using a paper diary for 4-5 weeks and then used the app for the same duration. Initial nutrition education and general support were provided during the paper diary use, but the app included personalized messages sent in response to app activity. At the end of each study phase, participants completed an online questionnaire to describe their experience of using the paper diary and app.ResultsRecord completion declined throughout the study, possibly affected by examination pressure. Food intake data showed increased fruit consumption and significantly reduced consumption of chocolate snacks (P=.01) and fizzy drinks (P=.002) among participants using the app. Questionnaire responses indicated that the app was generally preferred to the paper diary, in particular, the app was seen as less boring to use (P=.03) and more acceptable in social settings (P<.001).ConclusionsThis app-based approach has shown the potential for a more effective approach to improving adolescent diet and exercise levels.
Highlights
A wide range of modern technologies designed to support health and well-being of individuals and specific populations are becoming available and increasingly affordable
The mean participant body mass index (BMI) was 24 kg/m2(SD 4) with 15% (5/34) classified as either clinically obese (BMI above the 98th centile based on their sex and age) or severely obese (BMI above 99.6th centile based on their sex and age)
All participants remained weight-stable throughout the study with a median weight change of −0.1 kg after the paper diary phase and a median change of 0.375 kg (IQR=−0.275 to −0.925, n=28) after the app phase compared with weight at the start of each phase
Summary
A wide range of modern technologies designed to support health and well-being of individuals and specific populations are becoming available and increasingly affordable. This study was designed to investigate the use of a smartphone app (FoodWiz2) in supporting healthy lifestyle choices in adolescence. Energy and nutrient requirements are greater in adolescence than at any other time [2]. The poor quality of many adolescent diets is recognized to be an important issue in relation to a range of short- and long-term health outcomes [3,4,5]. Recent data from large, cross-sectional surveys indicate that adolescent diets do http://mhealth.jmir.org/2018/1/e17/. There is increasing recognition that personalized approaches may be more effective in helping people establish healthier eating patterns and exercise more, and that this approach may be effective in adolescents
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