Towards Effective Smartphone Pregnancy Apps: A Critical Evaluation of Quality, content and suitability in Freely Available Persian Pregnancy Apps

Abstract

Abstract Background The rise of health apps in the digital health landscape has created opportunities for health promotion, particularly in pregnancy. However, despite pregnancy mobile apps' wide distribution and popularity, there is limited data on their quality and content. This review aimed to evaluate the Quality, content, and suitability of the most popular and freely available Persian smartphone pregnancy-related apps. Methods 163 apps were screened from Google Play and Cafebazaar app store using the search term pregnancy app until July 2023. Apps in the Farsi language, freely available, downloaded more than 10,000 times, and designed for pregnant women were included. Finally, only nine apps met the inclusion criteria, downloaded on mobile phones and assessed by two independent reviewers using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS), the Coverage and Depth of Information Scale, and the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM). Results The mean of the four MARS subscale scores across all nine apps was 3.55 ± 0.61 out of a maximum of 5. Aesthetics and functionality subscales were rated the highest, followed by engagement and information subscales. Overall, 66% of apps were rated poor for coverage and depth of health information, 33% as adequate, and no app received a superior level. Regarding SAM, 44% of apps were rated superior, 55% adequate, and no app received a poor score. Conclusions This evaluation highlights the importance of evaluating the quality and content of pregnancy apps before recommending them to pregnant women. Healthcare providers should suggest high-quality pregnancy apps with appropriate content for pregnant women.