Effects of fitness apps on body image and mental health: a systematic review (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Multiple studies investigating the impact of fitness app usage on mental health have demonstrated that such utilization can contribute to enhancements in mental well-being, encompassing anxiety alleviation and improved quality of life. OBJECTIVE The objective of this systematic review was to synthesize the available evidence regarding the correlation between fitness apps and body image measurements or related variables of mental health (e.g., anxiety, depression, stress, well-being, quality of life, etc.). METHODS A comprehensive search was conducted in EMBASE (via Ovid), APA PsychInfo (via Ovid), PubMed, and Cochrane Library to identify qualitative studies examining the impact of fitness apps on body image and mental health. The quality of the selected studies was assessed using an adaptation of the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies from the Effective Public Health Practice Project. RESULTS A total of 17 studies from seven countries, which met the inclusion criteria, reported on the impact of fitness apps. The majority of these studies (n = 12) were randomized controlled trials with either 2-group or 3-group study designs. The remaining studies included one unrandomized controlled trial, one single-arm trial, and three cross-sectional studies. An evaluation was conducted to assess the quality of these papers, resulting in their categorization as follows: six were classified as strong, four as weak, and the remaining seven as moderate. CONCLUSIONS In summary, this review indicates a lack of substantial correlation between the utilization of fitness applications and body image or mental health outcomes. However, it should be noted that limited availability of literature and inconsistent outcome measures restrict us to providing only a preliminary systematic review.