First author and year | Country of origin | Reported design | Funding source(s) | Target user | Targeted user characteristics | App stores searched | App store search date(s) | Method for app sampling | App sample number | App sample language restriction | Children’s app content |
Biviji et al 39 | USA | Review and content analysis | None | Parents | Pregnant people, future parents, other caregivers of infants | Apple App and Google Play | Not reported | Scraping software | 29 | English | Pregnancy or early childhood health education or user decision-making support functions |
Biviji et al 40 | USA | Cross-sectional report | Combination | Parents | Parents-to-be, other caregivers of infants | Apple App and Google Play | March 2017 | Scraping software | 421 | English | Pregnancy or early childhood health education or user decision-making support function |
Bland et al 41 | UK | Content analysis | Combination | Parents | Pregnant people | Apple App and Google Play | November 2018 | Keyword | 29 | English | Pregnancy-specific nutritional support functions |
Brown et al 42 | Australia | Review | None | Parents | Pregnant people | Apple App | October 2017 | Keyword | 51 | English | Nutrition or dietary information |
Bry et al 43 | USA | Systematic evaluation | Not reported | Parents or children | Children with anxiety, parents of a children with anxiety | Apple App and Google Play | February 2016 | Keyword | 121 | English | Anxiety-related symptom treatment or management |
Chen et al 44 | USA | Systematic review | For-profit | Children | Adolescents and young adults who are sexually active | Apple App and Google Play | July 2015 | Keyword | 22 | English | Pregnancy prevention information |
Cheng et al 24 | Australia | Systematic evaluation | Not reported | Parents | Parents of infants up to 1 year | Apple App and Google Play | September 2018 to January 2019 | Keyword | 47 | English | Milk feeding behaviours, solid food feeding behaviours or infant activity information |
Das et al 20 | USA | Content analysis | Government | Children | Children or adolescents under the age of 18 | Apple App and Google Play | March 2016 | Store-reported highly ranked apps | 64 | Not reported | All app content types included |
Davis et al 45 | USA | Content analysis | Not reported | Parents | New parents | Apple App | 2016 | Keyword | 46 | English | Parenting, infant health or child health information |
Furlong et al46 | Australia | Systematic review | Government | Children | Children up to 12 years old with a speech disorder | Apple App and Google Play | November 2016 to May 2017 | Keyword | 132 | English | Includes tasks that require production of speech by user |
Hotwani et al47 | India | Content analysis | Not reported | Parents or children | All children | Apple App | Not reported | Keyword | 6 | English | Tooth brushing promoting functions |
Hswen et al 48 | USA | Content analysis | Not reported | Children | Children aged 4 and older | Apple App | March 2012 | Store-reported highly ranked apps | 20 | Not reported | All app content types included |
Liu et al 22 | USA | Not reported | Government | Children | All children | Google Play | April 2015 | Classifier software | 67 778 | Not reported | All app content types included |
Meyer et al 23 | USA | Content analysis | University | Children | Children less than 5 years old | Google Play | December 2017 to March 2017 | Store-reported highly ranked apps | 135 | Not reported | All app content types included |
Mousavi et al49 | Iran | Systematic review | None | Parents or children | All parents or children | Apple App and Google Play | December 2017 | Keyword | 4 | English | Health monitoring, health decision support and diagnosis support functions |
Musgrave et al50 | Australia | Systematic review | University | Parents | Pregnant people | Apple App and Google Play | November 2017 to October 2019 | Store-reported highly ranked apps | 10 | English | General pregnancy information |
Quinn et al 51 | USA | Not reported | None | Children | Children preschool and/or kindergarten age | Apple App and Google Play | Not reported | Keyword | 472 | English | Handwriting, spelling and/or composing training |
Reyes et al 18 | Multiple | Content analysis | Combination | Children | Children less than 13 years old | Google Play | November 2016 to March 2018 | Scraping software | 5855 | English | All app content types included |
Richardson et al52 | Canada | Systematic review | Government | Parents | Parents of children in the NICU (inclusive of guardians, additional family or individuals that provide care to infants in the NICU) | Apple App and Google Play | 2017 | Keyword | 18 | English | Information or support functions for parents of infants in NICUs |
Robinson et al53 | USA | Content analysis | Government | Children | Smoking adolescents attempting to quit | Apple App and Google Play | November 2016 | Keyword | 46 | Not reported | Smoking cessation education |
Sardi et al 21 | Multiple | Systematic review | Government | Parents | Postpartum women | Apple App and Google Play | January 2019 | Keyword | 48 | English | Postnatal care support functions for the mother and/or newborn |
Schoeppe et al54 | Australia | Systematic review | Combination | Children | All children and adolescents | Apple App and Google Play | May 2016 to November 2016 | Keyword | 25 | English | Diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour improvement functions |
Schoffman et al55 | USA | Systematic evaluation | None | Children | Children and adolescents with obesity | Apple App and web search | June 2012 | Keyword | 57 | English | Weight loss/healthy eating/physical activity support functions |
Sidhu et al 56 | USA | Content analysis | Government | Parents | Breastfeeding mothers of infants 0–6 months | Apple App and Google Play | August 2017 and October 2017 | Keyword | 41 | English | Breastfeeding education or breastfeeding experience tracking |
Taki et al 57 | Australia | Systematic evaluation | Government | Parents | Parents of infants up to 1 year | Apple App and Google Play | December 2013, March 2014, and December 2014 | Keyword | 46 | English | Healthy milk or solid food feeding behaviour information |
Virani et al 58 | Canada | Review | Not reported | Parents | All parents | Google Play | June 1 2018 | Keyword | 16 | English | Parenting information and support functions |
Weber et al 59 | USA | Review | Government | Parents | Participants in a special supplemental nutrition programme for women, infants, and children | Apple App and Google Play | December 2017 to June 2018 | Keyword | 17 | Not reported | Relating to the supplemental nutrition programme from women, infants and children |
Weekly et al 60 | USA | Review | Not reported | Parents or children | Palliative paediatric patients, caregivers of palliative paediatric patients | Apple App, Google Play and Blackberry World App | May 2017 to July 2017 | Keyword and expert referral | 16 | English and Spanish | Mindfulness, relaxation or distraction education or training |
Wisniewski et al61 | USA | Systematic evaluation | Government | Parents or children | All parents or children | Google Play | April 2016 to May 2016 | Keyword | 75 | Not reported | Adolescent online safety functions |
Womack et al62 | USA | Content analysis | Not reported | Parents | Pregnant people | Apple App and Google Play | November 2015 | Keyword | 48 | English | Pregnancy information |
Zarnowiecki et al63 | Australia | Systematic review | Not-for-profit | Parents or children | Parents of children under 15, children under 15 | Apple App and web search | October 2018 to November 2018 | Keyword | 4 | Not reported | Meal planners, shopping list or lunchbox functions |
Zhao et al 25 | Australia | Comprehensive assessment and exploratory qualitative research | University | Parents | Parents of infants and young children | Apple App and 360 Android Mobile Assistant | April 2016 | Keyword | 26 | Accessible in simplified Chinese characters | Healthy infant feeding provision functions |
Zhao et al 26 | Australia | Not reported | Not reported | Parents | Mothers of children 3 years of age and less or mothers-to-be | 360 Android Mobile Assistant | February 2018 | Store-reported highly ranked apps | 79 | Accessible in simplified Chinese characters | Pregnancy and early parenting information or support functions |
Zhao et al 19 | USA | Prospective cohort study | Combination | Children | Children aged 3–5 years | Google Play | August 1 2019 to November 1 2019 | Parent list of used apps | 451 | Not reported | All app content types included |
NICU, neonatal intensive care unit.