A systematic appraisal of the information, engagement, aesthetic and functional quality of nutrition-related smartphone apps for children and adolescents

Objective: Nutrition-related smartphone applications (apps) could improve children's nutrition knowledge and skills. However, little is known about the quality of nutrition-related apps for children. This study aimed to identify and evaluate the quality of nutrition-related smartphone apps designed for children ages 4-17. Design: This systematic appraisal is guided by the Protocol for App Store Systematic Reviews. Setting: Using Google's Advanced Search, we identified 1814 apps/1184 additional apps in an updated search on iOS, of which twenty-four were eligible. The apps' objective and subjective quality were evaluated using the twenty-three-item, five-point Mobile App Rating Scale. The objective quality scale consists of four subscales: engagement, functionality, aesthetics and information. Results: Most of the apps (75 %) focussed solely on promoting nutrition skills, such as making food dishes, rather than nutrition knowledge. Of the twenty-four apps, 83 % targeted children 4-8 years old. The app objective quality mean score was 3.60 +/- 0.41. The subscale mean scores were 3.20 +/- 0.41 for engagement, 4.24 +/- 0.47 for functionality, 4.03 +/- 0.51 for aesthetics and 2.94 +/- 0.62 for information. The app subjective quality mean score was 2.10 +/- 0.90. Conclusions: More robust approaches to app development leveraging co-design approaches, including involving a multidisciplinary team of experts to provide evidence-based nutrition information, are warranted.