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.
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
Topics
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