Evaluation methods for physical activity-promoting mobile technologies: an interdisciplinary scoping review
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1
University of Glasgow, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, United Kingdom
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2
University of Glasgow, School of Computing Science, United Kingdom
There are many thousands of mobile apps, wearables and other technologies available to support and promote physical activity. However, the rapidly evolving nature of these technologies means that the methodologies traditionally used to evaluate the effectiveness of behaviour change interventions (such as the randomised controlled trial) may not be appropriate to evaluate their effectiveness. A scoping review was conducted to identify the methods currently being used to evaluate physical activity-promoting mobile technologies across health and computing science disciplines. In addition to the range of methods used, the review explored their strengths and weaknesses. The results improve understandings of when and why to use existing methods from health and computing science. Opportunities for combining and hybridising methods across the two disciplines are also identified. The review will be used to inform the development and piloting of novel, ‘fit-for-purpose’ research designs that will allow rigorous evaluation of the effectiveness of rapidly-evolving physical activity-promoting mobile technologies and their ‘active ingredients’ to build an evidence base of what works, why and for whom.
Keywords:
Research Methods,
physical activity,
Mobile Technologies,
experimental design,
Scoping review
Conference:
2nd Behaviour Change Conference: Digital Health and Wellbeing, London, United Kingdom, 24 Feb - 25 Feb, 2016.
Presentation Type:
Poster presentation
Topic:
Academic
Citation:
McCallum
C,
Gray
C and
Rooksby
J
(2016). Evaluation methods for physical activity-promoting mobile technologies: an interdisciplinary scoping review.
Front. Public Health.
Conference Abstract:
2nd Behaviour Change Conference: Digital Health and Wellbeing.
doi: 10.3389/conf.FPUBH.2016.01.00010
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Received:
04 Dec 2015;
Published Online:
09 Jan 2016.
*
Correspondence:
Ms. Claire McCallum, University of Glasgow, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, Glasgow, G12 8RS, United Kingdom, c.mccallum.2@research.gla.ac.uk