The use of mobile health applications in the development of a healthy lifestyle of adolescents: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics of adolescents' use of mobile health applications in the development of a healthy lifestyle. Design and methods: This was a descriptive comparative cross-sectional study. This study was conducted between October 21, 2024 and December 31, 2024 with 563 adolescents in seven schools in a province in the Western Black Sea Region of T & uuml;rkiye. Data were collected face-to-face using the Information Form on Children's Descriptive Characteristics and Mobile Health Applications and the Healthy Lifestyle Belief Scale for Adolescents. Student t-test and ANOVA were used to analyze the data. Results: The most frequent applications of the adolescents were physical activity themed applications (40.5 %) and healthy nutrition themed applications (33.3 %), respectively. Those who preferred physical activity-themed applications (61.82 +/- 0.70) had a higher mean score of Healthy Lifestyle Belief Scale for Adolescents than those who preferred Ministry of Health applications (43.54 +/- 2.91) (p < 0.001). Adolescents who used mobile health applications that allowed regular monitoring of their own health status (68.20 +/- 0.28) had a higher mean score of Healthy Lifestyle Belief Scale for Adolescents than those who used mobile health applications that allowed monitoring of sleep patterns (55.35 +/- 1.24) (p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study can provide information about the characteristics and advantages of mobile health applications used by adolescents, the features taken into account when downloading applications, and ensure that future interventions focus primarily on this system. Practice implications: Pediatric nurses can provide counseling for the individual health needs of adolescents and provide the right guidance to develop a healthy lifestyle. (c) 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.