Mobile applications, physical activity, and health promotion

 


We are pleased to share with you the publication of a scientific article (authored by us), whose empirical analysis is motivated by physical inactivity and overweight and obesity as significant risk factors for global mortality. The article can be accessed here: link.

In this study, we explore the role of mobile applications in promoting physical activity, highlighting their relevance as a public health tool. The results indicate that the use of these applications is associated with the adoption of healthy habits, mainly due to the possibility of self-assessment, continuous monitoring, and personalized goal setting. Users' motivation seems to be more related to tracking their own performance rather than traditional loyalty strategies, although gamification can play a relevant role when properly balanced.


The article also presents policy implications to maximize the benefits of these tools. Governments can encourage the development and adoption of applications aligned with public health guidelines, ensuring accessibility and reliability. Furthermore, integrating these technologies into healthcare systems can facilitate the monitoring of chronic diseases and the personalization of physical activity plans. To achieve this, proper regulation is essential to ensure user data security and the transparency of the algorithms used.


Another relevant aspect addressed in the study is the need to reduce digital barriers. Technology inclusion programs, combined with incentives for device acquisition and digital training, can ensure that the benefits of health applications are accessible to a wider audience. Strategies that make these tools more intuitive and adaptable to individual needs are also recommended to enhance adoption and effectiveness.


We conclude that mobile applications can play a fundamental role in promoting public health, provided that policies are implemented to ensure their safe, inclusive, and integrated use within the healthcare system. Public health departments in various countries, such as the USA, the UK, Australia, and Singapore, have invested in the development of fitness and health applications.


We hope that our findings can inspire new measures within the scope of the National Physical Activity Promotion Program of the Directorate-General of Health. The most notable initiatives for promoting physical activity in Portugal can be found here: http://www.panaf.gov.pt/

The full text of our paper can be found here: https://rdcu.be/ec0ck 


Happy readings!!


Talk to us: pxp.cminho@gmail.com


Reference:
Mobile applications, physical activity, and health promotion. (2025) BMC Health Services Research, 25, 359. [DOI: 10.1186/s12913-025-12489-z]


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Myth of Successful Men and Others Like It

Image
  Urban Myths.  When we started writing this column, we felt like a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown —something that, according to stereotypes, seems to be an exclusively female privilege . Naturally, Priscila  had the meltdown , while Pedro remained stiff and firm like an iron bar . It was just like that classic moment when we had to attend an event and suddenly realise, to our horror, that we have absolutely nothing to wear! Everyone knows how women are: indecisive, emotional, ignorant, uneducated, resentful, and vengeful . They make decisions based on other people’s opinions , try to fit into imposed standards , and, of course, are so obsessed with appearances, gossip, and what others think that they hardly have time to form their own ideas. But let’s leave that behind and move on to what really matters: men. Women are complicated , and writing about them would be exhausting ; men, conversely, are simple, brilliant, and natural problem solvers . Hence the que...
Read more

A journey through the Pythagorean table

Image
  The sun was setting on the horizon. It was a late afternoon on one of those days still under the old time, meaning an hour ahead of where we are now. Despite the time being ahead, I will not talk about the future. On the contrary, I will speak of two recent and distant pasts. In the recent past, while traveling on a highway, I was suddenly struck by a beam of light (fortunately, not a lightning bolt) that made me reflect on the multiplication table and transported me to a distant past. Suddenly, as if in a leap through time, I found myself in the 6th century BC, on an island in ancient Greece, face to face with Pythagoras. Who does not know the well-known rhyme that describes his famous theorem? "On the way to Syracuse, Pythagoras told his grandchildren: The square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides." Although the theorem is fascinating, it is irrelevant to today’s topic. Beyond the theorem and many other significant contributions...
Read more