Abstract
Background:
Globally, the use of mobile health (mHealth) apps or interventions has increased. Robust synthesis of existing systematic reviews on mHealth apps may offer useful insights to guide maternal health clinicians and policy makers.
Objective:
This systematic review aims to assess the effectiveness or impact of mHealth apps on maternal health care delivery globally.
Methods:
We systematically searched Scopus, Web of Science (Core Collection), MEDLINE or PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews using a predeveloped search strategy. The quality of the reviews was independently assessed by 3 reviewers, while study selection was done by 2 independent raters. We presented a narrative synthesis of the findings, highlighting the specific mHealth apps, where they are implemented, and their effectiveness or outcomes toward various maternal conditions.
Results:
A total of 2527 documents were retrieved, out of which 16 documents were included in the review. Most mHealth apps were implemented by sending SMS text messages with mobile phones. mHealth interventions were most effective in 5 areas: maternal anxiety and depression, diabetes in pregnancy, gestational weight management, maternal health care use, behavioral modification toward smoking cessation, and controlling substance use during pregnancy. We noted that mHealth interventions for maternal health care are skewed toward high-income countries (13/16, 81%).
Conclusions:
The effectiveness of mHealth apps for maternity health care has drawn attention in research and practice recently. The study showed that research on mHealth apps and their use dominate in high-income countries. As a result, it is imperative that low- and middle-income countries intensify their commitment to these apps for maternal health care, in terms of use and research.
Globally, the use of mobile health (mHealth) apps or interventions has increased. Robust synthesis of existing systematic reviews on mHealth apps may offer useful insights to guide maternal health clinicians and policy makers.
Objective:
This systematic review aims to assess the effectiveness or impact of mHealth apps on maternal health care delivery globally.
Methods:
We systematically searched Scopus, Web of Science (Core Collection), MEDLINE or PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews using a predeveloped search strategy. The quality of the reviews was independently assessed by 3 reviewers, while study selection was done by 2 independent raters. We presented a narrative synthesis of the findings, highlighting the specific mHealth apps, where they are implemented, and their effectiveness or outcomes toward various maternal conditions.
Results:
A total of 2527 documents were retrieved, out of which 16 documents were included in the review. Most mHealth apps were implemented by sending SMS text messages with mobile phones. mHealth interventions were most effective in 5 areas: maternal anxiety and depression, diabetes in pregnancy, gestational weight management, maternal health care use, behavioral modification toward smoking cessation, and controlling substance use during pregnancy. We noted that mHealth interventions for maternal health care are skewed toward high-income countries (13/16, 81%).
Conclusions:
The effectiveness of mHealth apps for maternity health care has drawn attention in research and practice recently. The study showed that research on mHealth apps and their use dominate in high-income countries. As a result, it is imperative that low- and middle-income countries intensify their commitment to these apps for maternal health care, in terms of use and research.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | e49510 |
| Journal | Journal of Medical Internet Research |
| Volume | 26 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 31 May 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:©Edward Kwabena Ameyaw, Padmore Adusei Amoah, Obidimma Ezezika.
Funding
The authors are grateful to Prof Joshua Ka Ho Mok for his leadership and supervision. This study was funded by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) through its Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme. The authors are therefore thankful to the RGC and Lingnan University for providing financial assistance and resources.
Keywords
- database
- health care
- health care applications
- mHealth
- mHealth effectiveness
- mHealth impact
- maternal health
- mobile health
- newborn
- systematic review
- technology
- telemedicine
