title: A content analysis of precede-proceed constructs in stress management mobile apps.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The emergence of Apple's iPhone provides a platform for freelance developers to design third party apps, which greatly expands the functionality and utility of mobile devices for stress management. This study provides a basic overview of the stress management apps under the health and fitness category of the Apple App store and appraises each app's potential for influencing behavior change.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data for this study came from a content analysis of health and fitness app descriptions available in the App Store on iTunes. Trained research assistants used the Precede-Proceed Model (PPM) as a framework to guide the coding of paid stress management apps and to evaluate each app's potential for effecting health behavior change.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most apps were rated as being plausible (96.9%) and intending to address stress management (98.5%), but only 63.3% were rated as recommendable to others for their use. Reinforcing apps were less common than predisposing and enabling apps. Less than one percent (0.39%) of apps included all three factors (predisposing, enabling and reinforcing).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Practitioners should be cautious when promoting the use of stress management apps, as most provide only health-related information (predisposing) or suggestions for enabling behavior, but almost none include all three theoretical factors recommended for behavior change.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84606, USA.
authors.forename: Hannah E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Payne
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84606, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84606, USA.
authors.forename: Joshua H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: West
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas at Austin, Moody College of Communication, 300 W. Dean Keaton (A0900), Austin, TX 78712, USA.
authors.forename: Jay M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bernhardt
keywords: Mental health; mobile health; telemedicine