Using digital health tools like mobile apps and text messages can significantly help people to improve their health and wellbeing, a study has shown.
Researchers says people are “more likely” to stay active, boost their steps and improve their diet and sleep if they incorporate health technology into their everyday lives.
They found that digital interventions help people to achieve:
- 1,329 more steps a day
- 55 minutes more moderate-to-vigorous exercise a week
- 45 minutes more overall physical activity a week
- 7 hours less sedentary behaviour a week
- 103 fewer calories consumed a day
- 20% more fruits and vegetables consumed a day
- 5.5 grams less saturated fat consumed a day
- 1.9 kilograms of weight loss over 12 weeks
- Improved sleep quality
- Less severe insomnia
The positive impact of health technology was seen access different age groups and populations, leading the researchers to say digital support could be effective in wider public health campaigns.
Lead researcher, Dr Ben Singh from the University of South Australia, says behaviour and lifestyles must change to curb rising rates of chronic diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Health apps, websites and text messages could all help drive these behavioural changes, he said.
Dr Singh said: “With the rise of preventable chronic diseases like obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes, finding mechanisms that can help reduce people’s risk is important.
“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 behaviour, but also improving their diet and quality of sleep.
“Given the wide accessibility and popularity of health apps, their capability to tailor information and deliver timely reminders and prompts, and scalability to diverse populations, they could be a very effective intervention to promote better health.
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“Making positive changes to your health and wellbeing can be a challenge – it’s always easier to add kilos to your waistline, than it is to reduce them – but by incorporating digital tools into your everyday life, you’re more likely to achieve positive outcomes.”
Figures from the World Health Organization show that one in eight people now have obesity, while 422 million people have diabetes. The leading cause of death globally is cardiovascular disease.
Read the study in full in npj Digital Medicine.
