Health and the Mobile Phone

Randomized Controlled Trial of MyLastDip: A Web-Based Smokeless Tobacco Cessation Program for Chewers Ages 14-25

“…The use of mobile treatment adjuncts is consistent with a recent Pew Report (Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, & Zickuhr, 2010) and other similar reviews (Nielsen, 2009), concluding that texting is indispensable to the lives of American teens and young adults. Finally, there is growing evidence showing that automated text messaging can assist health behavior change (Fjeldsoe, Marshall, & Miller, 2009;Fjeldsoe, Miller, & Marshall, 2010;Patrick, Griswold, Raab, & Intille, 2008) including tobacco cessation (Brendryen, Drozd, & Kraft, 2008;Free et al, 2009;Rodgers et al, 2005). In this promising scenario, the web-based program could deliver a full-featured, engaging, tailored intervention, whereas the tightly integrated mobile adjunct could push messages to participants' phones in order to promote interaction, increase motivation, challenge dysfunctional beliefs, and provide cues to action (Webb, Joseph, Yardley, & Michie, 2010).…”

Weight loss—there is an app for that! But does it adhere to evidence-informed practices?

“…These practices and the indicators of adherence were as follows: (1) assess one's weight (scored on whether the app provided a means of calculating one's body mass index with an interpretation of what that means), (2) eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables (scored on whether the app recommended a certain number of daily servings fruits and vegetables or allowed users to track their number of servings each day), (3) perform regular physical activity (scored on whether the app recommended a certain amount of physical each day per week), (4) drink water instead of juice or soda (scored on whether the app recommended a certain number of daily serving of water or allowed users to track their daily servings of water), (5) keep a food diary (scored on whether the app allowed users to track the daily food consumption), (6) maintain calorie balance of in vs. out (scored on whether the app allowed for users to calculate the number of calorie needed in order to meet desired weight loss/maintenance goals given one's activity level), (7) weight loss of 1 to 2 lb a week (scored on whether the app recommended weight loss goals of 1 to 2 lb/week), (8) portion control (scored on whether the app described or illustrated portions sizes or let users look up nutritional information according to portion size), (9) read nutrition labels (scored on whether the app recommended reading labels, described how to properly read labels, or let users look up nutritional information for food items), (10) track your weight (scored on whether the app provided a means to track weight over time), (11) keep a physical activity journal (scored on whether an app provided a means to track daily physical activity), (12) plan meals (scored on whether the app recommended users plan their meals, had a tool for menu planning, or a way to search recipes), and (13) seek social support (scored on whether the app allowed users access to social support components like message boards, chat rooms, email an expert, or a networking component like Twitter).…”

“…These can include a number of different methods, such as books, "how-to" manuals, and commercial programs [4,5]. Advances in communication technologies have pushed these self-help and commercial programs to Internet platforms and more recently to mobile smartphones [6,7].…”

Mobile technology: a synopsis and comment on “mobile phone-based interventions for smoking cessation”

“…Thirty-one percent of cell phone owners have used their phone to look up health information [1]. Internet and mobile phonebased interventions are increasingly used by healthcare providers to assist patients in healthy lifestyle behavior interventions [2]. Specifically, smoking cessation programs have begun to adopt mobile phone interventions as a treatment delivery option as part of internet-based or in-person coaching programs.…”