| Popis: |
UNSTRUCTURED Following increases in smartphone access, more parents seek out parenting advice through internet sources, including blogs, online forums, or mobile applications (apps). However, searching and filtering through apps in the app store can be challenging due to lack of regulation in the quality of available mobile apps, especially among apps that share medical advice or track health behaviors. To understand the availability and quality of apps for early childhood health promotion, we completed a content analysis of apps in two major app stores (Google Play Store and Apple App Store). We found that most apps do not provide tailored experiences to parents, including cultural considerations and language diversity, and instead promote generic guidance that may be useful to parents in some contexts. We discuss the need for an evaluative framework to assess apps aimed to support parents on child development topics. Future work is needed that addresses accessibility of mobile apps in this area, and how health equity may be applied to evaluation and app development in this space. |
