JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Traditionally, self-reported physical activity questionnaires have been used for physical activity (PA) surveillance in children and adolescents, especially in free-living conditions. Objective measures are more accurate at measuring physical activity, but high cost often creates a barrier to their use in low- and middle-income settings. The advent of smartphone technology has greatly influenced mobile health (mHealth) and offers new opportunities in health research, including PA surveillance.

Objective:

This scoping review aimed to systematically explore the use of smartphone technology for PA surveillance in children and adolescents, specifically focusing on the use of smartphone applications.

Methods:

A literature search was conducted involving 5 databases (PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Medline, Web of Science), and including Google Scholar to identify articles relevant to the topic that were published from 2008 to 2021. Articles are included if they 1) include children and adolescents within the age range of 5–18 years old; 2) use smartphone technology as PA surveillance; 3) have PA behavioural outcomes such as energy expenditure, steps count, PA levels; 4) are written in the English language; and 5) are published between 2008 and 2021.

Results:

In total, 7 studies (3 cross-sectional, 3 cohort and 1 exploratory) were identified and analysed. All participants involved were 12-18 years old and all studies were conducted in high-income countries. Participants were recruited from school, primary care and voluntarily. Five studies used mobile applications specifically and purposely developed for the study, while 2 studies used mobile applications downloadable from website, Apple Appstore and Android Play Store. PA surveillance using these apps were conducted from 24-hours to 4 weeks. Pros of smartphone technology in measuring PA included quick feedback, accurate measurement in comparison with self-report methods, easy self-monitoring, and being free and downloadable from websites and apps stores. Meanwhile, cons included some apps had not been empirically validated, being unable to measure water activities, some apps required data translation (data are not readily available to use directly) and some are only compatible for Android phones.

Conclusions:

Evidence of PA surveillance using smartphone technology in children and adolescents was insufficient, which demonstrated the knowledge gap. Additional research is needed to further study the feasibility and validity of smartphone applications in PA surveillance among children and adolescents, especially in low- and middle- income countries.