https://doi.org/10.17037/DATA.00004496
Data collated as part of a meta-analysis to investigate effectiveness of mobile app-based interventions in facilitating behaviour change towards healthier and more sustainable diets. It contains variables on study details, sample characteristics, as well as baseline and post-intervention values of food consumption.
The data were acquired from previously published interventional studies. We systematically searched academic databases and grey literature and included 21 studies in the systematic review. Data extraction forms were set up on Covidence and MS Excel and data extraction was conducted by two researchers.
The following variables are contained within the App intervention dataset.
| Variable Name | Variable Label | Answer Label | Answer Code | Variable Type |
| Author_year | Publication first author and year of publication. | String | ||
| Specific_app | Variable indicating the specificity of the apps. This indicates ‘Specific’ apps that are targeted at the measured food group only, or ‘General’ apps that are also targeted at other food groups. | Numeric | ||
| Specific - solely targeted at the measured food group | Specific | |||
| General - targeted at other food groups | General | |||
| Study_design_cats | Variable indicating if the study design operated with or without a control group. | Numeric | ||
| Study did not have a control group | Uncontrolled | |||
| Study had a control group | Controlled | |||
| Dietary_measure_cat | The dietary measurement method used. | Numeric | ||
| Single question or not reported | Single question or not reported | |||
| 24h recall or food frequency questionnaire | 24h recall or food frequency questionnaire | |||
| PPT_type | Variable indicating whether participants were recruited based on a known risk factor for health. | String | ||
| Participants were not recruited based on a risk factor for health | No risk factor | |||
| Participants were recruited based on a known risk factor for health | Risk factor | |||
| Base_health | Variable to code samples as having good or poor baseline health, whereby the mean body mass index was in the overweight or obese category, the proportion overweight or obese was higher than the national average of that country, or the baseline dietary intake was less when compared to the respective national dietary guidelines. | String | ||
| Good | Good | |||
| Poor | Poor | |||
| Transparency_score | Variable to reflect reporting transparency and study quality taking items from three previous checklists. Scores ranged from Single question or not reported-26 for RCTs and Single question or not reported-23 for non-RCTs, given the additional three items relating to blinding for RCTs. Higher scores indicated higher quality. Percentage of fulfilled criteria was obtained by dividing scores by the maximum score and multiplying by 100. | Numeric | ||
| Retention_rate | The retention rate, calculated as a percentage of the baseline (recruited) sample who were at the final follow-up (analysed sample). | Numeric | ||
| Baseline_intake | The number of portions of that food group that were reported at baseline. | Numeric | ||
| Int_duration | The intervention duration in weeks. | Numeric | ||
| FU | The time in weeks from baseline of the final follow-up measurement. | Numeric | ||
| Age | Average age of the study sample. | Numeric | ||
| Sex | The percentage of female participants in the study sample. | Numeric | ||
| Info | Variable indicating if the intervention included the delivery technique "Information Delivery". | Numeric | ||
| Technique was not included | No information delivery | |||
| Technique was included. | Information Delivery | |||
| Logs | Variable indicating if the intervention included the delivery technique "Logs" | Numeric | ||
| Technique was not included | No logs | |||
| Technique was included. | Logs | |||
| Messag | Variable indicating if the intervention include the delivery technique "Messaging". | Numeric | ||
| Technique was not included | No messaging | |||
| Technique was included. | Messaging | |||
| Reports | Variable indicating if the intervention include the delivery technique "Reports". | Numeric | ||
| Technique was not included | No reports | |||
| Technique was included. | Reports | |||
| Media | Variable indicating if the intervention include the delivery technique "Media". | Numeric | ||
| Technique was not included | No media | |||
| Technique was included. | Media | |||
| Personal | Variable indicating if the intervention included the delivery technique "Personalisation". | Numeric | ||
| Technique was not included | No personalisation | |||
| Technique was included. | Personalisation | |||
| S_K | Variable indicating if the intervention included the behaviour change technique "Shaping Knowledge". | Numeric | ||
| Technique was not included | No shaping knowledge | |||
| Technique was included. | Shaping knowledge | |||
| N_C | Variable indicating if the intervention included the behaviour change technique "Natural Consequences". | Numeric | ||
| Technique was not included | No natural consequences | |||
| Technique was included. | Natural consequences | |||
| Within_between | A variable defining the comparison method: Within participants (before-after) or Between participants (intervention-control). | Numeric | ||
| Within participants (before-after) | Within participants | |||
| Between participants (intervention-control) | Between participants | |||
| Outcome_category_6 | The outcome categories of food intake. | String | ||
| Fruit and vegetables | Fruit and vegetables | |||
| Legumes | Legumes | |||
| Meat | Meat | |||
| Mean_base_con | Mean baseline value for the control in pure form. | Numeric | ||
| mean.c | Mean baseline value for the control in the standard portion/day form. | Numeric | ||
| SD_base_con | Standard deviation for the mean baseline value for the control in pure form. | Numeric | ||
| sd.c | Standard deviation for the mean baseline value for the control in the standard form. | Numeric | ||
| SE_base_con | Standard error for the mean baseline value for the control in pure form. | Numeric | ||
| se.c | Standard error for the mean baseline value for the control in the standard form. | Numeric | ||
| n.c | Sample size for the control. | Numeric | ||
| Mean_exp | Mean baseline value for the intervention group in pure form. | Numeric | ||
| mean.e | Mean baseline value for the intervention group in the standard portion/day form. | Numeric | ||
| SD_exp | Standard deviation for the mean baseline value for the intervention group in pure form. | Numeric | ||
| sd.e | Standard deviation for the mean baseline value for the intervention group in the standard form. | Numeric | ||
| SE_exp | Standard error for the mean baseline value for the intervention group in pure form. | Numeric | ||
| se.e | Standard error for the mean baseline value for the intervention group in the standard form. | Numeric | ||
| n.e | Sample size for the intervention group. | Numeric | ||
| Ab_diff | Absolute difference between the intervention and control groups. | Numeric | ||
| Percent_diff | Percentage difference between the intervention and control groups. | Numeric | ||
| LL | Lower limit of the absolute difference. | Numeric | ||
| UL | Upper limit of the absolute difference. | Numeric | ||
| sei | Standard error of the absolute difference. | Numeric |