Adolescents’ Assessment of Several Step Tracker Mobile Applications Based on Their Previous Level of Physical Activity
<b>Background:</b> Adolescents’ use of step tracker mobile applications (apps) could be influenced by their assessment of the mobile app used. <b>Objectives:</b> To analyze differences in the dropout rate, app assessment, and problematic mobile phone use based on prior physic...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Children |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/5/554 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850257100419104768 |
|---|---|
| author | Nerea Gómez-Cuesta Adrián Mateo-Orcajada Lourdes Meroño Lucía Abenza-Cano Raquel Vaquero-Cristóbal |
| author_facet | Nerea Gómez-Cuesta Adrián Mateo-Orcajada Lourdes Meroño Lucía Abenza-Cano Raquel Vaquero-Cristóbal |
| author_sort | Nerea Gómez-Cuesta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background:</b> Adolescents’ use of step tracker mobile applications (apps) could be influenced by their assessment of the mobile app used. <b>Objectives:</b> To analyze differences in the dropout rate, app assessment, and problematic mobile phone use based on prior physical activity levels and the app used. <b>Methods:</b> A study with a quasi-experimental design was carried out with the participation of 240 adolescents, who were further categorized as either active or inactive. The adolescents carried out a 10-week intervention promoted as a part of the physical education curriculum, three days a week, in which they randomly used the Pokémon Go, MapMyWalk, Pacer, or Strava mobile apps after school for cardiorespiratory training. <b>Results:</b> The results showed a higher dropout rate from Pokémon Go in the group of inactive adolescents (<i>p</i> = 0.012). No differences were found in the assessment of apps based on the level of activity of the adolescents, neither overall nor when analyzing this question based on the app used (<i>p</i> > 0.05). As for problematic mobile phone use, only previously inactive adolescents assigned to the Pacer group significantly increased their final score after the intervention (<i>p</i> = 0.044), with no changes being identified in the other groups or apps (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Furthermore, the active adolescents showed a positive relationship between the volume of training and problematic mobile phone use (<i>p</i> = 0.023), specifically with the conflicting use of this device (<i>p</i> = 0.017). <b>Conclusions:</b> The inactive adolescents had a higher dropout rate when using Pokémon Go. There were no differences in app assessment between the active and the inactive participants. However, the active adolescents showed a link between their training volume and problematic mobile phone use. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9d8ce94eeac743df844d2c1ad27edbb5 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2227-9067 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Children |
| spelling | doaj-art-9d8ce94eeac743df844d2c1ad27edbb52025-08-20T01:56:29ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672025-04-0112555410.3390/children12050554Adolescents’ Assessment of Several Step Tracker Mobile Applications Based on Their Previous Level of Physical ActivityNerea Gómez-Cuesta0Adrián Mateo-Orcajada1Lourdes Meroño2Lucía Abenza-Cano3Raquel Vaquero-Cristóbal4Facultad de Deporte, UCAM Universidad Católica de Murcia, 30107 Murcia, SpainFacultad de Deporte, UCAM Universidad Católica de Murcia, 30107 Murcia, SpainFacultad de Deporte, UCAM Universidad Católica de Murcia, 30107 Murcia, SpainFacultad de Deporte, UCAM Universidad Católica de Murcia, 30107 Murcia, SpainResearch Group Movement Sciences and Sport (MS&SPORT), Department of Physical Activity and Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Murcia, 30720 Murcia, Spain<b>Background:</b> Adolescents’ use of step tracker mobile applications (apps) could be influenced by their assessment of the mobile app used. <b>Objectives:</b> To analyze differences in the dropout rate, app assessment, and problematic mobile phone use based on prior physical activity levels and the app used. <b>Methods:</b> A study with a quasi-experimental design was carried out with the participation of 240 adolescents, who were further categorized as either active or inactive. The adolescents carried out a 10-week intervention promoted as a part of the physical education curriculum, three days a week, in which they randomly used the Pokémon Go, MapMyWalk, Pacer, or Strava mobile apps after school for cardiorespiratory training. <b>Results:</b> The results showed a higher dropout rate from Pokémon Go in the group of inactive adolescents (<i>p</i> = 0.012). No differences were found in the assessment of apps based on the level of activity of the adolescents, neither overall nor when analyzing this question based on the app used (<i>p</i> > 0.05). As for problematic mobile phone use, only previously inactive adolescents assigned to the Pacer group significantly increased their final score after the intervention (<i>p</i> = 0.044), with no changes being identified in the other groups or apps (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Furthermore, the active adolescents showed a positive relationship between the volume of training and problematic mobile phone use (<i>p</i> = 0.023), specifically with the conflicting use of this device (<i>p</i> = 0.017). <b>Conclusions:</b> The inactive adolescents had a higher dropout rate when using Pokémon Go. There were no differences in app assessment between the active and the inactive participants. However, the active adolescents showed a link between their training volume and problematic mobile phone use.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/5/554adolescentsdropout ratemobile applicationsmobile phoneproblematic use |
| spellingShingle | Nerea Gómez-Cuesta Adrián Mateo-Orcajada Lourdes Meroño Lucía Abenza-Cano Raquel Vaquero-Cristóbal Adolescents’ Assessment of Several Step Tracker Mobile Applications Based on Their Previous Level of Physical Activity Children adolescents dropout rate mobile applications mobile phone problematic use |
| title | Adolescents’ Assessment of Several Step Tracker Mobile Applications Based on Their Previous Level of Physical Activity |
| title_full | Adolescents’ Assessment of Several Step Tracker Mobile Applications Based on Their Previous Level of Physical Activity |
| title_fullStr | Adolescents’ Assessment of Several Step Tracker Mobile Applications Based on Their Previous Level of Physical Activity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Adolescents’ Assessment of Several Step Tracker Mobile Applications Based on Their Previous Level of Physical Activity |
| title_short | Adolescents’ Assessment of Several Step Tracker Mobile Applications Based on Their Previous Level of Physical Activity |
| title_sort | adolescents assessment of several step tracker mobile applications based on their previous level of physical activity |
| topic | adolescents dropout rate mobile applications mobile phone problematic use |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/5/554 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nereagomezcuesta adolescentsassessmentofseveralsteptrackermobileapplicationsbasedontheirpreviouslevelofphysicalactivity AT adrianmateoorcajada adolescentsassessmentofseveralsteptrackermobileapplicationsbasedontheirpreviouslevelofphysicalactivity AT lourdesmerono adolescentsassessmentofseveralsteptrackermobileapplicationsbasedontheirpreviouslevelofphysicalactivity AT luciaabenzacano adolescentsassessmentofseveralsteptrackermobileapplicationsbasedontheirpreviouslevelofphysicalactivity AT raquelvaquerocristobal adolescentsassessmentofseveralsteptrackermobileapplicationsbasedontheirpreviouslevelofphysicalactivity |