Calorie Counting Apps for Monitoring and Managing Calorie Intake in Adults with Weight-Related Chronic Diseases: A Decade-long Scoping Review (2013-2024) (Preprint)

Abstract

The prevalence of weight-related chronic diseases presents a critical challenge to healthcare systems. In Canada, obesity rates are alarmingly high, with significant regional disparities. Obesity is strongly associated with numerous health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and hypertension, resulting in considerable societal costs. Effective weight management programs often involve dietary self-monitoring, and mobile health (mHealth) apps. Particularly calorie counting apps, have emerged as promising tools due to widespread smartphone ownership and increased telemedicine utilization. However, the heterogeneity of these apps complicates the assessment of their clinical feasibility and efficacy.

This study aims to systematically evaluate the structure and content of 46 calorie counting apps, identify predictors of their acceptability and feasibility among adults with obesity or weight-related chronic diseases, and formulate evidence-based recommendations for app developers, clinicians, and researchers.

A comprehensive review and analysis of 46 existing calorie counting apps will be conducted, focusing on their functionalities, features, and user engagement metrics. Additionally, the study will investigate predictors of app acceptability and feasibility through surveys and user feedback from adults with obesity or weight-related chronic conditions. The findings will be synthesized to develop practical recommendations for enhancing the design and clinical implementation of calorie counting apps.

The review identified significant variety in the functionalities and features of calorie counting apps. Key predictors of acceptability included personalized features, automated functionalities, user-friendly interfaces, and the ability to share data with healthcare professionals. Barriers to acceptability and feasibility were identified as technical issues, limited food databases, and the high effort required for manual entry. The study also highlighted a decline in user adherence over time, emphasizing the need for engaging and simplified calorie tracking methods.

Calorie counting apps hold potential as tools for managing obesity and weight-related chronic diseases. To enhance their clinical utility, app developers should focus on improving user engagement through personalized and automated features, ensuring comprehensive food databases, and minimizing the effort required for dietary self-monitoring. Further research is needed to validate these apps' effectiveness and explore strategies to sustain user adherence. The findings provide valuable insights for developing more effective and user-friendly mHealth interventions.