Apps and wearables for monitoring physical activity and sedentary behaviour: A qualitative systematic review protocol on barriers and facilitators

OBJECTIVE: Monitoring of physical activity and sedentary behaviours by mobile phone applications (apps) and wearable technology (wearables) may improve these health behaviours. This systematic review aims to synthesise the qualitative literature on the barriers and facilitators of using apps and wearables for monitoring physical activity and/or sedentary behaviour in adults.

METHODS: This review protocol is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42017070194). Scientific databases including CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, Cochrane Library and Scopus will be searched for relevant studies published from 1 January 2012 to the date the searches are conducted. Studies will be included if they incorporated adults who used an app or wearable for monitoring physical activity and/or sedentary behaviour; explored the barriers and/or facilitators of using an app and/or wearable; and were published in English. Following duplicate screening of titles and abstracts, full texts of potentially eligible papers will be screened to identify studies using qualitative approaches to explore barriers and facilitators of using apps and/or wearables for monitoring physical activity and/or sedentary behaviour. Discrepancies will be resolved through consensus or by consulting a third screener. Relevant excerpts (quotes and text) from the included papers will be extracted and analysed thematically. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Qualitative Research Checklist will be used to appraise included studies.

CONCLUSION: The results of this work will be useful for those intending to monitor physical activity and/or sedentary behaviour using these technologies.