Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting
Date Submitted: Oct 26, 2022
Date Accepted: Mar 27, 2023
Features, Design, and Adherence to Evidence-Based Behavioral Parenting Principles in Commercial mHealth Parenting Apps: A Systematic Review
ABSTRACT
Background:
Adolescent substance use continues to be a public health concern. While well-established treatments currently exist, there is still room for improvement regarding efficacy and effectiveness. One evidence-based approach that emerged is behavioral parent training (BPT) interventions for parents of substance-using youths. However, real-world challenges in dissemination, implementation, and maintenance of behavioral parenting interventions persist. Mobile technologies such as smartphone applications (apps) have unique advantages in addressing these barriers and appear to be a promising vehicle for service delivery.
Objective:
The current study seeks to inform future development of evidence-based parent-targeted smartphone apps by systematically reviewing commercially available apps that aim to provide parents with skills to manage child or adolescent behavior.
Methods:
A total of 57 apps were included in the review and coded for availability, popularity, and infrastructure; 51 of them were sufficiently functional for assessment of app design; and 30 apps proceeded to final evaluation of adherence to BPT principles.
Results:
No app specifically focusing on adolescent substance use was found. Results showed low levels of adherence of commercial apps to BPT, though certain design features were notable for promoting user experience. Limitations and implications were discussed.
Conclusions:
Adolescent substance use researchers developing parent-targeted apps in the future will benefit from use of iterative user-centered study designs, incorporation of empirical and theoretical factors that promote user experience and behavior change, and multidisciplinary collaboration across academic and industrial sectors.
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Copyright
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