Examining the Effects of
Third-Party Lifestyle App Usage Among People With Diabetes
What's the Story?
Lifestyle changes can be crucial to manage diabetes effectively. Understanding how meal and activity-tracking apps impact key clinical outcomes can help patients quantify and implement these changes.
Mobile apps track meal and activity factors real-time, provide personalized recommendations, and data visualization, that can potentially help patients follow dietary guidelines and exercise routines.
This study assesses how third-party digital health apps (those not specifically tied to a diabetes device) impact glycemic control, mental well-being, and BMI.
Study Findings
- Significantly more patients with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) reported using diet-tracking apps compared to those with Type 2 diabetes (T2D).
- T1D users of meal and activity tracking apps had significantly more time in range (TIR) and a higher proportion with HbA1c ≤7%. T2D users of exercise tracking apps also had higher TIR.
- No significant differences were observed in BMI—75% had a BMI ≥30, irrespective of type or app use—or mental well-being (WHO-5 score of 13, irrespective of type or app use) based on app usage.
- Despite reported glycemic control benefits, only about 20% of people with diabetes use third-party lifestyle apps. The use rate is even lower among those with T2D. Enhancing these apps to offer personalized nutrition or exercise recommendations and resources to foster community support may improve their effectiveness in relieving the burden of diabetes management.
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