MORE and more Australians are turning to apps for help or information about various aspects of their life - and health apps are particularly popular.
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But just how good is the health information provided, or how effective is the app in motivating you to a healthy lifestyle?
VicHealth's Healthy Living Apps Guide reviews more than 200 smartphone apps for how well they help people lead healthier lifestyles. Its finding show many apps are ineffective, with even the best only receiving a three out of five rating.
VicHealth chief executive Jerril Rechter said digital technologies such as mobile phone apps were a great tool for promoting health and preventing illness, but until now there had been no independent, evidence-based review of the quality and effectiveness of these apps.
"The majority (81 per cent) of Australians own a smartphone and have access to thousands of apps that commit to helping them eat better, move more, quit smoking, drink less alcohol and manage stress levels," she said.
"We know that a quarter of Victorians have recently downloaded a health and wellbeing app, but with so many to choose from, people often struggle to find one that's effective in helping them change their behaviour in a way that will help them live a healthier life."
Apps featured in the guide include Nike+ Running, Fitbit, My Diet Diary Calorie Counter, Water your Body, Quit Now: My QuitBuddy, Tap to Smoke, Alcohol Cutdown Coach and Map my Fitness.
VicHealth research showed that of those who had downloaded a health and wellbeing app, one in six downloaded a physical activity app and one in 10 a healthy eating app.
"Apps can be effective in helping people adopt healthier lifestyles, but the two in five Australians who trust them for information about being healthy should use them with caution," Ms Rechter said.
The apps were rated for user-friendliness and how effective they were likely to be in helping someone adopt a healthier lifestyle. The best rating achieved was three out of five.
"Besides giving people the information they need to make better decisions for their own health, we're encouraging app developers to improve their products," Ms Rechter said.
"We've also produced a set of new guidelines to assist app developers design more effective products, which is a win-win for everyone."
The VicHealth survey of 4062 Australians aged 18 and over found:
- Two in five Australians think health and wellbeing apps are trustworthy sources of information about being healthy. Women are more likely than men to trust these apps (44% v 36%).
- Significantly higher proportions of younger Australians (47% of 18-24 year olds and 50% of 25-34 year olds) think health and wellbeing apps are trustworthy sources of information compared to older people (32% of 55-64 year olds and 29% of 65-74 year olds).
VicHealth's top 10 tips for choosing a healthy living app:
1. Make sure the app is enjoyable and engaging: you will use it more often. It will also make it feel like less of a chore!
2. Find an app that suits your needs. For instance, choose an app that's suitable for your age, fitness levels or accessibility needs.
3. Choose an app supported by an organisation you trust. Not all apps have the same quality of information.
4. Use an app that is compatible with equipment you already have access to.
5. Make sure the app allows you to create and modify your own goals. Setting yourself a goal will help you build healthy habits and stick to them, such as doing more physical activity next week.
6. Choose an app that lets you track your behaviour. Keeping a record of your behaviour will help you change it. For example, you can choose an app that displays the times you go on walks, on what days and at what intensity.
7. Choose an app that shows you how to do an activity. If you don't know how to perform an activity, watching it being done will help you to get started.
8. Use an app that allows you to share your progress with your friends, whether this is through social media or other users of the app community. Having support from others will help you achieve your goals.
9. Find an app that has notifications. Let it remind you of when you had planned to go for a walk or eat a piece of fruit instead of that snack! This will help you build habits and stick to your plans.
10. Choose an app that rewards you when you succeed. Getting a reward for doing a specific activity will help reinforce it. This could be as simple as praise and encouragement or your name appearing on a leader board.
VicHealth's Healthy Living Apps Guide for consumers, as well as the guidelines for app developers, is available at www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/apps
The pages can be searched by category, Apple or Android device, age group, price, and whether the app needs an add-on to work (for example, a fitness device). They can also be sorted by overall rating, name, highest price or lowest price.
