HealthApps4Kids - Health-related Apps for Children
With increasing online use of children, also the topic of E-Health gains importance. The project focuses on a structured overview of health-related apps for the young target group and addresses parents as well as stakeholders like educators and health professionals.
The diffusion of online-enabled mobile devices initiated a broad range of upcoming mobile apps in recent years. For example, according to estimates, Google’s Play Store alone offers 3 million apps (state 2017-01-17). In particular, the advent of health apps has risen with increasing popularity of self-optimization and -monitoring. At the same time, the app market can be characterized as very dynamic and intransparent.
Similarities can be found with regard to apps referring to children. Caused by the variety of (health) applications, ‘good’ examples are hard to find and to classify as such. Information and data about the value of health-related apps for children have not yet been available. From a media-pedagogic point of view, the relevance of this topic results from the increasing online-access via mobile devices and its associated use of apps. In context of the online use of children, the topic of e-health is also gaining importance. The project aims to contribute to a systematic approach within this area of application.
A two-stage analysis, structured in a formal and a content-related level, will take place to capture the broad field of offered health apps for kids and to gain detailed information about aspects like quality of health-promoting content.
Research programme: RP3 - Knowledge for the Media Society