Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40349017›Full record

SynthesisBMC pediatrics2025

Understanding the effectiveness and design of parent-oriented mobile health interventions: a systematic review and narrative synthesis.

Alicia Kilfoy, Isabella Zaffino, Enoch McAtee, Prabdeep Panesar, Kristin Cleverley, Quynh Pham, Charlene H Chu, Lindsay Jibb

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC pediatrics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Alicia KilfoyLawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, 155 College St, Toronto, Canada.
Isabella ZaffinoChild Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, 676 Bay St, Toronto, Canada.
Enoch McAteeLawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, 155 College St, Toronto, Canada.
Prabdeep PanesarFaculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, Canada.
Kristin CleverleyLawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, 155 College St, Toronto, Canada.
Quynh PhamInstitute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St, Toronto, Canada.
Charlene H ChuLawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, 155 College St, Toronto, Canada.
Lindsay JibbLawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, 155 College St, Toronto, Canada. Lindsay.jibb@sickkids.ca.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundParents of children with a health condition experience high levels of distress which can have long-term impact on the child and parent. Dyadic interventions have the potential to decrease this distress, however several barriers to access including time constraints have been reported. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions can address several of these barriers. GOAL: The goal of this systematic review was to review and synthesize the literature examining the effects of parent-oriented mHealth interventions and their content and design.

methodsWe searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Cochrane Central databases from January 2013 to 2023 using a search strategy based on telemedicine and parents/caregivers. Included studies were randomized controlled trials assessing the effect of parent-oriented mHealth interventions on child and parent health. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool was used to assess for bias in studies. Trial details and design and content features of interventions were extracted. Outcomes were organized using the Van Houtven's Framework for Informal Caregiver Interventions. Results are presented narratively.

resultsFifty papers pertaining to 49 unique studies met our inclusion criteria. More than half of the studies scored high-risk for bias. Interventions targeted a wide range of pediatric conditions. Intervention type included texting (n = 17) and investigator-developed mobile applications (n = 16). Interventions significantly improved parent psychological health and child health outcomes. Key intervention features and design included the use/application of codesign and a theory-driven intervention.

conclusionParent-oriented mHealth interventions identified in this review significantly improved both parent and child health outcomes. Therefore, these interventions have the potential to support parents outside of a clinical setting.

Indexed as

ParentsStress, PsychologicalTelemedicineChildHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicAcute and Chronic conditionsCaregiversInterventionsMobile HealthParentsPediatrics

Identifiers

PMID40349017
PMCPMC12065154

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.