title: Mobile Apps for Weight Management: A Scoping Review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity remains a major public health concern. Mobile apps for weight loss/management are found to be effective for improving health outcomes in adults and adolescents, and are pursued as a cost-effective and scalable intervention for combating overweight and obesity. In recent years, the commercial market for 'weight loss apps' has expanded at rapid pace, yet little is known regarding the evidence-based quality of these tools for weight control.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To characterize the inclusion of evidence-based strategies, health care expert involvement, and scientific evaluation of commercial mobile apps for weight loss/management.
  
  
  METHODS
  An electronic search was conducted between July 2014 and July 2015 of the official app stores for four major mobile operating systems. Three raters independently identified apps with a stated goal of weight loss/management, as well as weight loss/management apps targeted to pediatric users. All discrepancies regarding selection were resolved through discussion with a fourth rater. Metadata from all included apps were abstracted into a standard assessment criteria form and the evidence-based strategies, health care expert involvement, and scientific evaluation of included apps was assessed. Evidence-based strategies included: self-monitoring, goal-setting, physical activity support, healthy eating support, weight and/or health assessment, personalized feedback, motivational strategies, and social support.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 393 apps were included in this review. Self-monitoring was most common (139/393, 35.3%), followed by physical activity support (108/393, 27.5%), weight assessment (100/393, 25.4%), healthy eating support (91/393, 23.2%), goal-setting (84/393, 21.4%), motivational strategies (28/393, 7.1%), social support (21/393, 5.3%), and personalized feedback (7/393, 1.8%). Of apps, 0.8% (3/393) underwent scientific evaluation and 0.3% (1/393) reported health care expert involvement. No apps were comprehensive in the assessment criteria, with the majority of apps meeting less than two criteria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Commercial mobile apps for weight loss/management lack important evidence-based features, do not involve health care experts in their development process, and have not undergone rigorous scientific testing. This calls into question the validity of apps' claims regarding their effectiveness and safety, at a time when the availability and growth in adoption of these tools is rapidly increasing. Collaborative efforts between developers, researchers, clinicians, and patients are needed to develop and test high-quality, evidence-based mobile apps for weight loss/management before they are widely disseminated in commercial markets.
authors.affiliation: Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Jordan
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3458-8984
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McPherson
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Birken
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coons
authors.forename: Sindoora
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iyer
authors.forename: Arnav
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: Chitra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lalloo
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9969-8052
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stinson
keywords: mHealth; mobile apps; obesity; smartphones; weight loss