Mobile Applications to Promote Physical Activity in Adolescents: A Scoping Review of Self-Regulation, Emotional Well-Being, and Safeguards
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64747/76xqm123Keywords:
physical activity, mobile applications, adolescents, emotional well-being, self-regulation, privacyAbstract
Introduction: Mobile applications can support goal setting, self-monitoring, and feedback for adolescent physical activity, but they may also introduce attrition, social pressure, surveillance, and unequal access. Increasing step counts does not necessarily improve moderate-to-vigorous physical activity or emotional well-being. Objective: To map evidence published through April 15, 2026, on the effects, mechanisms, implementation conditions, and safeguards of mobile applications intended to promote physical activity, self-regulation, and emotional well-being among adolescents. Methods: A JBI-oriented scoping review was reported using PRISMA-ScR. Ten historical Crossref searches retrieved 600 records; 559 were unique and 88 passed a thematic filter. Forty-five reports were assessed and 20 sources were included. Population, design, components, human support, measurements, activity, well-being, adherence, safety, equity, and limitations were extracted. Results: Reviews showed favorable but heterogeneous signals. Step monitoring increased daily steps in some bodies of evidence, without a consistent overall effect on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among adolescents. School interventions reported selective improvements in activity, fitness, or psychological variables alongside null findings. A 12-week multicomponent intervention produced context-dependent benefits and high early attrition. Self-monitoring, goals, feedback, and social support may facilitate change, but competition, notifications, and comparison do not suit everyone. Privacy, autonomy, accessibility, and adverse effects were insufficiently reported. Conclusions: An app is not an effective intervention by itself. The most defensible design combines flexible goals, understandable feedback, choice, human support, and independent measurement with data minimization and non-digital alternatives. Well-being must be measured directly rather than inferred from step counts. Current evidence does not support a universal causal effect or claims about Ecuadorian outcomes.
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