International Longevity Centre 19 September 2018
- This report examines the evidence for the potential of apps to promote positive health behavioural change in the UK population.
- After a thorough evidence review of academic and grey literature, the sourcing of case studies and original analysis of the Understanding Society dataset, this report finds:
- There are a number of app-based innovations that could benefit individuals – and health systems
- This report identifies several health apps that have been proven to reduce unhealthy behaviours such as excessive alcohol consumption and increase positive health behaviours such as a healthy diet and physical exercise. If these positive health behaviours are continued across large population groups, this could have a positive impact on non-communicable disease prevalence rates.
- Best practice apps include Gray Matters, that has been shown to improve health behaviours that can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s in older adults, and Step Away, that has been shown to effectively reduce heavy alcohol consumption.
