Mobile Phone Applications to Support Breastfeeding Among African-American Women: a Scoping Review

Mieso, Bethel R.; Neudecker, Mandy; Furman, Lydia

doi:10.1007/s40615-020-00927-z

Cited by 10 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…This is consistent with our findings. Similar to Mieso et al [18], the number of user reviews in our sample displayed a wide range. Unsurprisingly, higher-rated apps offered more tracking features on all indices.…”

Section: Principal Findingssupporting

confidence: 76%

“…A total of 40 iPhone and 42 Android apps were included in the final sample (N=82) of which 80 were free to users; only 2 paid iPhone apps remained in the final sample (Figure 1). The final sample is comparable to those of previous infant-feeding app studies, which included 41 to 77 apps [18,20,21].…”

Section: Samplementioning

confidence: 70%

“…Our study builds on previous research of breastfeeding apps while expanding our understanding of what these apps offer by evaluating their features. Our sample is slightly larger than that of Mieso et al [18] and includes a greater percentage of free apps than earlier studies [18,20,21]. Similar to Schindler-Ruwisch et al [20], the sample draws upon a range of app categories, including medical, health and fitness, and parenting.…”

Section: Principal Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this nascent area of research, several studies have focused on one or more characteristics of infant-feeding smartphone apps. Mieso et al [ 18 ] performed a scoping review that addressed app development, user experience, and app effectiveness on breastfeeding outcomes. Studies of app development have reported the feasibility and need for smartphone apps to provide education, peer and professional support, and tracking features.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…User experience appears more positive than negative; apps were mostly helpful and reassuring, though some study participants noted apps were time-consuming, anxiety-provoking, burdensome, technically difficult, or provided questionable information. Only 3 studies examined app effectiveness, suggesting that apps are useful for capturing data and may help support exclusive breastfeeding and continuation of breastfeeding for 6 months [ 18 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluation of Breastfeeding App Features: Content Analysis Study

Dinour¹,

Pole²

2022

JMIR Pediatr Parent

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Background While a variety of health apps abound, less than half of adults in the United States report using a health app, despite the ubiquity of smartphones among users aged 18 to 49 years. Several studies have examined the use of breastfeeding apps; however, less is known about the types of features found on these apps and what factors might influence app ratings. Objective This paper seeks to characterize breastfeeding apps, assess whether apps with higher user ratings differ from apps with lower user ratings in their tracking and nontracking features, and analyze whether the type and number of features predict user star ratings and whether an app is higher- or lower-rated. Methods Using a cross-sectional design, a convenience sample of breastfeeding apps was culled from the Apple App Store (iOS) and Google Play Store (Android). Content analysis of the apps (N=82) was conducted using a schema of 87 items, which was then compiled into 9 topical indices for breastfeeding, bottle feeding, solid foods, infant health, infant care, technical characteristics, informatics, informational characteristics, and interactivity. Analysis consisted of descriptive statistics, the Mann-Whitney U test, and Spearman rank correlations. Linear regression and binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine which features predicted user star ratings. Results On average, users rated breastfeeding apps 4.4 of 5 stars. Two-thirds of apps (n=54) were higher rated (≥4.5 stars), and one-third (n=28) were lower rated (<4.5 stars). Higher-rated apps offered more tracking features for breastfeeding, bottle feeding, solid foods, infant health, and infant care than lower-rated apps. The breastfeeding, solid-food, and technical indices explained 17% of user star ratings. For each additional breastfeeding and solid-food feature, we can expect to see a 27% and 35% increase, respectively, in user star ratings. Additionally, as the number of solid-food features increased, the odds that the app is higher rated increased 1.58 times. Conclusions Our findings suggest user ratings are driven in part by tracking features, specifically those related to breastfeeding and solid foods. The proliferation of mobile health apps offers opportunities for parents and caregivers to track behaviors associated with infant feeding and other health metrics in a dynamic, detailed, and comprehensive manner. Hence, breastfeeding apps have the potential to promote and support breastfeeding among users.

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Section: Principal Findingssupporting

confidence: 76%

Section: Samplementioning

confidence: 70%