Motivations for Use, User Experience and Quality of Reproductive Health Mobile Applications in a Pre-Menopausal User Base: A Scoping Review

Summary & key facts

This scoping review looked at peer-reviewed studies about reproductive health mobile apps for pre-menopausal users. It included 58 papers published from 2014 to 2023 and used JBI and PRISMA methods. People used apps mainly to learn about their bodies, for contraception, and to try to conceive. The review found benefits, such as improved menstrual health knowledge, but also many app limitations that hurt user experience. The authors call for more diverse studies, attention to different user groups, and research on how healthcare providers could be involved.

Key facts:

• The review extracted data from 58 papers published in English between 2014 and 2023.
• The authors searched studies published since 2010 across MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, ACM Digital Library, and IEEE Xplore.
• Users were mainly motivated to use reproductive health apps for education, contraception, and conception.
• The review reported that some apps can improve menstrual health literacy.
• The review identified limitations in current reproductive health apps that negatively affect user experience.
• The authors recommended increasing participant diversity, studying different user groups, and investigating the role of healthcare providers in app development and patient education.
• The background notes the global mHealth market may reach an estimated value of $187.7 billion by 2033.

Abstract

Background: The global mHealth market is growing at an unprecedented rate and is expected to reach an estimated value of $187.7 billion by 2033, with many apps now addressing women's health and the menstrual cycle. This scoping review (ScR) aimed to comprehensively assess and describe the existing peer-reviewed literature on motivations for use, user experience, and reproductive health app quality. Methods: The protocol and review were conducted according to the JBI methodology and PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews. Studies published in English since 2010 were included and searched in MEDLINE, Embase (Ovid platform), Scopus (Elsevier), ACM Digital Library, and IEEE Xplore. Studies were screened independently by two reviewers and the data explored through charting and synthesis. Results: Data were extracted from 58 papers published in English between 2014 and 2023. Several major themes related to motivations for app use, user experience, and app quality were identified and are reported on. Conclusions: Users were motivated to engage in reproductive health apps for education, contraception, and conception. This ScR identified several benefits, such as improving menstrual health literacy. We also identified limitations of current reproductive health apps that adversely affect user experience. Recommendations for future studies include increasing diversity, exploring perspectives of different user groups, and investigating the role healthcare providers may have in app development and patient education.

Topics

Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Mobile Health and mHealth Applications Technology Adoption and User Behaviour

Categories

General Health Professions Health Professions Health Sciences

Tags

Computer science Digital health Environmental health Health care Health literacy Human–computer interaction Law Medical education Medicine MEDLINE mHealth Nursing Political science Population Psychological intervention Psychology Reproductive health Scopus Systematic review User experience design