Researcher: Health apps deliver results [Video]

By Lifestyle Staff

ADELAIDE, Australia — A new study reports that health app users get more exercise, sleep better and eat healthier. A University of South Australia research team, led by Dr. Ben Singh, compiled data from 206,873 people across 47 studies. Their meta-meta-analysis found that digital health tools — like smartphone mobile apps, websites, and text messages — can significantly improve health and well-being.

Specifically, the researchers reported that electronic and mobile health interventions can help people achieve:

• 1,329 more steps/day
• 55 minutes more moderate-to-vigorous exercise/week
• 45 minutes more overall physical activity/week
• 7 hours less sedentary behavior/week
• 103 fewer calories consumed/day
• 20% more fruits and vegetables consumed/day
• 5 grams less saturated fat consumed/day
• 9 kilograms of weight loss over 12 weeks
• Improved sleep quality
• Less severe insomnia.

“Our study found that digital and mobile health interventions can have a positive effect on people’s health and wellbeing, not only helping them to increase their physical activity and reduce sedentary …