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Objective: To test the efficacy of smartphone-assisted online brief cognitive behavioral therapy (b-CBT) to treat maternal depression compared to online brief CBT plus an active control app. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted. Assessments were performed at baseline (T0), midpoint (T1, week 4-5), post-treatment (T2, week 8), and follow-up (T3, 2-month postnatal follow-up) by blinded interviewers. The primary outcome was depression measured by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at T2. We also assessed anxiety, stress, sleep quality, well-being, physical activity, treatment response, and offspring child behavior problems. Results: Eighty-one participants were randomized to the intervention (n=37) or active control (n=44) groups. Seventy-one participants completed the post-treatment assessment or reported primary outcome data. No differences were found between the intervention and active control groups regarding maternal depression or other mental health outcomes. Overall, we found large within-group effect sizes, with 80% of the total sample responding to treatment. Conclusions: Our data showed no difference between the groups, suggesting that adding apps to psychotherapy treatment may not enhance treatment effects on prenatal depression. A within-groups analysis showed that most participants with depression responded to treatment; however, future studies are needed to confirm whether this effect is related to factors other than the intervention.
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@#Introduction The new technological innovation can have a vast potential for interventions to help weight loss and combat obesity. The current meta-analysis aimed to compare the effectiveness of smartphone applications (apps) with other methods for promoting weight loss. Methods PubMed, Ovid and Science Direct were searched from 2014 all-inclusive up to May 2019 for relevant studies that assessed any smartphone/mobile phone app intervention with anthropometric measurement. Statistical analysis performed to examine mean difference (95% CI) of body weight, body mass index and waist circumference. Six articles were included for meta-analysis. Findings According to the results, compared with conventional or other interventions, smartphone app interventions showed statistically non-significant decreases in body weight, body mass index and waist circumference. Intervention through smartphone apps alone does not produce substantial evidence of weight loss, even though they might be useful for specific groups. Originality/value There remain prospects to explore regarding the use of smartphone apps in combination with other approaches to aid and promote weight loss, as smartphone use has been proven to influence health-related behavioural modification.
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Objective To investigate the use of smartphone applications in the adherence with inhaled glucocortiocoids (ICS) therapy in asthma children. Methods Sixty-six asthma children and their caregivers in Shanghai Childrren's Medical center from July 2016 to February 2017 were recruited in this study using convenience sampling . All participants were randomly allocated to intervention and control groups. All participants were given routine education and technical guidance on inhalation. In addition all participants had the same chips attached to their regular nebulizers. The APP was installed on each caregivers' smartphone in the intervention group. Key modules of mobile applications include real-time monitoring of medication and health education. The ICS adherence rates were recorded by the chips and were monitored monthly by researcher. The frequency of asthma exacerbations, emergency department visits and hospital admissions in intervention group was collected by smartphone APP every 3 months. the frequency of asthma exacerbations, emergency department visits and hospital admissions in control group was investigated by researcher every 3 month. Results After 6 months follow up, although ICS compliance decreased in both groups. The first month's adherence in the intervention group was 98(97.0, 100.0)％, in the sixth month's was 96(92.0, 100.0)％. The first month's adherence in the control group was 93(68.5,100.0)％, in the sixth month's was 28(0, 55.5)％. The difference in adherence between the two groups was significant (Z=2.664, 4.318, P<0.01). The decline trend of the control group was significantly greater than that of the intervention group (F=25.097, P<0.01). The compliance of the control group was less than 60％from the third month and below 30％by the sixth month, below the average ICS compliance of 30％ to 60％ in China. Though the ICS compliance of intervention group was declining, the ICS compliance was more than 90％ and higher than the mean compliance in our country. No significant differences were found in the frequency of asthma exacerbations, emergency department visits and hospital admissions between the intervention and control group (χ2=3.043, 1.065, 1.015, P>0.05). But the frequency of asthma exacerbations, emergency department visits and hospital admissions of two times or more intervention group was lower than that in the control group. Conclusions Smartphone APP significantly improved the compliance of children with asthma aged 0 month to 3years old.
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Despite being effective in promoting healthy dietary behaviour, smartphone apps are scarcely available for our local communities and the majority of nutritional-related information is based on western food selections. Our new innovation aims to provide specific educational advice about recommended food intake, types, nutritional qualities and weight issues for cancer patients and survivors who suffer appetite problems and nutritional deficits. The Cancer Dietary (CanDiTM) app was developed as a convenient, flexible and attractively engaging smartphone app containing healthy tips which are uniquely tailored to the local food choices, preferences and ingredients. This helps customise users’ dietary needs besides permitting constant information up-dating. Features are broadly categorised into Healthy Eating Guide (advice from healthy eating to eating problems, weight loss prevention and increasing proteins and calories intake) and Malaysian Recipes For Cancer Patients (focusing on common Malaysian dishes, ingredients, treatment-based recipes and special diets). An additional Symptom Diary allows user’s personal profile to be recorded and stored virtually online. Its feasibility and acceptability were further tested among 30 cancer patients, family caregivers and dieticians recruited from a public hospital in Terengganu, Malaysia. Very good feasibility (> 80%) and excellent acceptability (> 90%) were reported regarding its ease of operation, suitability of language used, attractiveness, knowledge enhancement and perceived usefulness. With this scientific yet creative innovation, routine dietary habits related to cancer conditions could be easily facilitated for both patients/survivors as well as family caregivers for their independent and healthy living.
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@#Despite being effective in promoting healthy dietary behaviour, smartphone apps are scarcely available for our local communities and the majority of nutritional-related information is based on western food selections. Our new innovation aims to provide specific educational advice about recommended food intake, types, nutritional qualities and weight issues for cancer patients and survivors who suffer appetite problems and nutritional deficits. The Cancer Dietary (CanDiTM) app was developed as a convenient, flexible and attractively engaging smartphone app containing healthy tips which are uniquely tailored to the local food choices, preferences and ingredients. This helps customise users’ dietary needs besides permitting constant information up-dating. Features are broadly categorised into Healthy Eating Guide (advice from healthy eating to eating problems, weight loss prevention and increasing proteins and calories intake) and Malaysian Recipes For Cancer Patients (focusing on common Malaysian dishes, ingredients, treatment-based recipes and special diets). An additional Symptom Diary allows user’s personal profile to be recorded and stored virtually online. Its feasibility and acceptability were further tested among 30 cancer patients, family caregivers and dieticians recruited from a public hospital in Terengganu, Malaysia. Very good feasibility (> 80%) and excellent acceptability (> 90%) were reported regarding its ease of operation, suitability of language used, attractiveness, knowledge enhancement and perceived usefulness. With this scientific yet creative innovation, routine dietary habits related to cancer conditions could be easily facilitated for both patients/survivors as well as family caregivers for their independent and healthy living.
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Objective The purpose of our study was to assess the onset effect of bystander CPR assisted by a smart phone APP or by a dispatcher.Methods 74 volunteers,without any experience in basic life support measures,was randomly divided into three groups:no-assisted group (n=13),dispatcher-assisted group (n=34) and smart phone APP-assisted group (n=27).Under the condition of a simulative SCA,a QCPR mannequin was used to record the hands-off time,hand placement,rate,depth and complete chest recoil after each compression of the three different groups to make analysis.The no-assisted group didn't receive any CPR instruction;the dispatcher-assisted group was instructed to do CPR through the voice from the telephone;the smartphone APP-assisted group was instructed by a preset Android smart phone CPR APP which guided the volunteers to do CPR step by step by words,voice and animations.Rank sum test analysis of each group using SPSS19.0 software.Results In aspects of hands-off time (1.0 second vs.1.5 seconds vs.5.0 seconds),mean rate of compression (121.0 per minute vs.127.5 per minute vs.58.0 per minute),percentage of correct compression rate (99.0％ vs.98.0％ vs.0.0％) and mean depth of compression (33.0 cm vs.26.5 cm vs.16.0 cm),smart phone APP-assisted group performed as well as dispatcher-assisted group (P＞0.05) and was superior to no-assisted group (P＜0.05).Conclusion In terms of increasing the quality of CPR,the smart phone APP can play the same role as dispatcher's telephone guidance,so as to enhance the effect of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
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BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The Recaller app was developed to help individuals record their food intakes. This pilot study evaluated the usability of this new food picture application (app), which operates on a smartphone with an embedded camera and Internet capability. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Adults aged 19 to 28 years (23 males and 22 females) were assigned to use the Recaller app on six designated, nonconsecutive days in order to capture an image of each meal and snack before and after eating. The images were automatically time-stamped and uploaded by the app to the Recaller website. A trained nutritionist administered a 24-hour dietary recall interview 1 day after food images were taken. Participants' opinions of the Recaller app and its usability were determined by a follow-up survey. As an evaluation indicator of usability, the number of images taken was analyzed and multivariate Poisson regression used to model the factors determining the number of images sent. RESULTS: A total of 3,315 food images were uploaded throughout the study period. The median number of images taken per day was nine for males and 13 for females. The survey showed that the Recaller app was easy to use, and 50% of the participants would consider using the app daily. Predictors of a higher number of images were as follows: greater interval (hours) between the first and last food images sent, weekend, and female. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this pilot study provide valuable information for understanding the usability of the Recaller smartphone food picture app as well as other similarly designed apps. This study provides a model for assisting nutrition educators in their collection of food intake information by using tools available on smartphones. This innovative approach has the potential to improve recall of foods eaten and monitoring of dietary intake in nutritional studies.
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Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Eating , Follow-Up Studies , Internet , Meals , Nutritionists , Pilot Projects , SnacksABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The Recaller app was developed to help individuals record their food intakes. This pilot study evaluated the usability of this new food picture application (app), which operates on a smartphone with an embedded camera and Internet capability. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Adults aged 19 to 28 years (23 males and 22 females) were assigned to use the Recaller app on six designated, nonconsecutive days in order to capture an image of each meal and snack before and after eating. The images were automatically time-stamped and uploaded by the app to the Recaller website. A trained nutritionist administered a 24-hour dietary recall interview 1 day after food images were taken. Participants' opinions of the Recaller app and its usability were determined by a follow-up survey. As an evaluation indicator of usability, the number of images taken was analyzed and multivariate Poisson regression used to model the factors determining the number of images sent. RESULTS: A total of 3,315 food images were uploaded throughout the study period. The median number of images taken per day was nine for males and 13 for females. The survey showed that the Recaller app was easy to use, and 50% of the participants would consider using the app daily. Predictors of a higher number of images were as follows: greater interval (hours) between the first and last food images sent, weekend, and female. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this pilot study provide valuable information for understanding the usability of the Recaller smartphone food picture app as well as other similarly designed apps. This study provides a model for assisting nutrition educators in their collection of food intake information by using tools available on smartphones. This innovative approach has the potential to improve recall of foods eaten and monitoring of dietary intake in nutritional studies.