Accepted for/Published in: JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Date Submitted: Oct 19, 2023
Open Peer Review Period: Mar 24, 2024 - May 19, 2024
Date Accepted: Aug 8, 2024
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Assessment of Eye Care Apps for Children and Adolescents Based on the Mobile App Rating Scale （MARS）: Content Analysis and Quality Assessment
ABSTRACT
Background:
In China, the current situation of myopia among children and adolescents is very serious. Prevention and control of myopia are inhibited by the lack of medical resources and the low awareness about myopia. Nevertheless, mobile apps provide an effective means to solve these problems.
Objective:
This study aimed to evaluate the quality, functionality, medical evidence, and professional background of eye care apps targeting children and adolescents in Chinese app stores.
Methods:
A systematic search on iOS and Android app markets was performed to identify eye care apps for children and adolescents. The general characteristics, development context, and functional features of the apps were described. Quality assessment of the apps was completed by two independent researchers using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS).
Results:
This study included 29 apps, of which 17 were developed by commercial organizations and 12 had a design with relevant scientific basis. The main built-in functions of these apps include self-testing (18/29, 62.1%), eye exercises (16/29, 55.17%), and eye care education (16/29, 55.17%). The mean overall quality of eye care apps was 3.49 (SD 0.33), with a score ranging from 2.89 to 4.39. The overall MARS score exhibited a significant positive correlation with the subscale scores (r = 0.81–0.91, P < 0.001).
Conclusions:
In general, the quality of eye care apps for children and adolescents in Chinese app stores is good. However, problems still exist, such as insufficient medical background, low user participation, and untimely updating. This study provides a reference for the development or improvement of eye care apps in the future.
Citation
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Copyright
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