--- title: Can menstrual apps designed for user needs improve health outcomes? description: Yes. Apps designed to meet users' needs led to better symptom tracking, higher satisfaction, and improved confidence in managing symptoms. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/can-menstrual-health-apps-selected-based-on-users-needs-change-health-related-2019/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Can menstrual apps designed for user needs improve health outcomes? Randomised trial, 2019 # Can menstrual apps designed for user needs improve health outcomes? Yes. Apps designed to meet users' needs led to better symptom tracking, higher satisfaction, and improved confidence in managing symptoms. Moderate study design Women with dysmenorrhea and premenstrual syndrome ## What they did Double-blind randomized controlled trial. Women with dysmenorrhea and PMS used either App A (selected based on user needs) or App B (most popular worldwide). Intervention lasted 4 months to include at least 3 menstrual cycles. Users tracked symptoms and reported on app quality, satisfaction, and symptom management. ## What they found 61 women completed the 16-week intervention. App A users showed significant improvements in satisfaction, outcome expectancy, number of days with records, social influence, intent to recommend, and likelihood of behavior or cognitive changes. Number of menus used increased over time in App A. App self-efficacy and relief methods increased in App A users but did not significantly differ between groups. ## What it means for you A menstrual app designed around what women actually need may help them track symptoms more consistently and feel more satisfied using it. However, this study measured app usage and satisfaction rather than actual symptom improvement. Study included only 61 women, a relatively small sample. 61 Women who completed study 4 months Duration of app use 16 weeks Total study duration ## About the study Original title Can menstrual health apps selected based on users' needs change health-related factors? A double-blind randomized controlled trial Authors Lee J, Kim J Journal Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA Year 2019 Study design Randomised trial What was tested Use of menstrual app selected based on user needs or most popular app for 4 months Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocz019](https://doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocz019) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Apps and digital interventions](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-digital-health/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Systematic review, 2025 Does digital healthcare help manage period pain and PMS? Survey study, 2026 Do young women with PMS search online for health information more and develop health anxiety from it? Study, 2026 Do women with premenstrual symptoms use menstruation apps more? Interview study, 2024 How do young women use period tracker apps to manage their menstrual cycles? Survey study, 2022 How common is PMS among female college students in China and what increases the risk? Survey study, 2021 How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect women's menstrual cycles and symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗