Mobile Health

Mobile health (mHealth) involves the use of wireless technology with the goal of enhancing health behavior and/or health outcomes. With the growth of mHealth research, the variety of health topics and conditions addressed via mobile technologies has greatly increased. Although some mHealth interventions seem to lack theory, there are a wide variety of theories that have been applied to the mHealth interventions that use them. Similar to theories, there are various behavior change techniques and other strategies employed in mHealth, which may differ greatly from one mHealth intervention to the next. Overall, mHealth interventions seem to be effective, although their effectiveness can vary according to the targeted health goal, behavior change techniques and strategies, and other factors. Future research needs to further address the roles of behavioral change techniques, technological strategies/functions, and theoretical frameworks in mHealth effectiveness.