Effectiveness of Mobile Applications Running on Smartphones to Promote Physical Activity: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

Mobile applications reach a high number of individuals at low costs. This systematic review investigated the effectiveness of mobile application-based interventions to increase physical activity (PA) and self-efficacy and to decrease sedentarism. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs investigating the effect of PA interventions using an app compared to no intervention or traditional interventions were included. Pooled effects using the standardized mean difference (SMD) or the weighted mean difference (WMD) were calculated and the overall quality of the evidence was rated using the GRADE. Eleven studies were included. In the short term, pooled estimates showed a small and positive effect in the number of steps favoring interventions using a mobile app when compared with no interventions (WMD = 1579.04, 95%CI 454.04 to 2703.38) and with traditional interventions (WMD = 665.96, 95%CI 167.92 to 1164.00). For self-efficacy and at follow-up, results favoured traditional interventions (WMD = −8.20, 95%CI −14.25 to −2.15). Non-significant results were found for the remaining comparisons. The quality of the evidence ranged from very low to low. There is very low to low quality evidence that interventions using mobile apps running on smartphones, when combined with traditional interventions, are superior to traditional interventions in the short term. Further high-quality studies are required.