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Digital Health Technologies for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

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Guest Editor
Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC), 3004-011 Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: eHealth; mHealth; nursing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The healthcare systems face unprecedented financial constraints at a time of rising demand for their services. Technology can help people use care services less by supporting healthier living. Rapid advances in digital health technologies could bridge the gap between home- and center-based care delivery models by combining availability, accessibility, and responsive, individualized clinical oversights. Digital health solutions can help democratize access to medical expertise.

Technology-based interventions are associated with the more rational use of health services by helping patients and caregivers in the decision-making process. These technological solutions can make health institutions more flexible, skilled, and efficient, more orientated to meet the specific needs of citizens and professionals.

The major aim of this Special Issue is to collect new evidence, clinical experiences and review articles about the current practice for patient empowerment, health promotion and disease prevention using digital technologies.

Submissions are welcome for the following article types: original research, systematic reviews, clinical trials, case reports, and study protocols.

We particularly welcome contributions that include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

  • Effectiveness of digital health technologies in health promotion and disease prevention;
  • Diagnosis, monitoring and treatment via digital applications;
  • Social media for patient/caregiver empowerment or health promotion;
  • Serious games to promote behaviour changes;
  • Case reports on feasibility or user acceptability of mobile interventions;
  • Digital health tools for provider–patient (or family) interactions;
  • Development and evaluation of medical devices.

Dr. Pedro Miguel Lopes De Sousa
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • eHealth
  • mHealth
  • empowerment
  • health promotion
  • disease prevention
  • self-management
  • digital health technology
  • medical devices

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 770 KiB  
Article
Effectiveness of a Social-Media-Based Diet and Physical Activity Programme for Fathers in Japan: A Randomised Controlled Trial
by Kayo Maruyama and Kumiko Morita
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(8), 1104; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21081104 - 21 Aug 2024
Viewed by 790
Abstract
Provision of healthy lifestyle support for fathers can improve the lifestyles and health awareness of not only fathers but also their children and families. Few studies have examined the effectiveness of education targeting healthy fathers provided via social media. Hence, we aimed to [...] Read more.
Provision of healthy lifestyle support for fathers can improve the lifestyles and health awareness of not only fathers but also their children and families. Few studies have examined the effectiveness of education targeting healthy fathers provided via social media. Hence, we aimed to clarify the effects of providing fathers with information on healthy lifestyle habits via social media on their awareness and behaviours regarding diet, physical activity, and healthcare, in addition to such a programme’s indirect effects on their children. This randomised controlled trial included 73 fathers of primary school children in Japan. The intervention group received information on ‘healthy lifestyle’, ‘lifestyle-related diseases’, ‘healthy diet’, and ‘healthy physical activity’ via social media six times every 2 weeks. Data were collected before, 3 months after, and 4 months after the intervention. The intervention was effective in improving some awareness regarding diet, physical activity, and healthcare. In addition, the fathers in the intervention group demonstrated significantly improved interest in their child’s diet and exercise habits. Social-media-based diet and physical activity programmes for fathers improved their awareness and behaviour. Therefore, social-media-based health education programmes can be an important tool for increasing fathers’ interest in their own health and in their children’s lifestyles. Full article
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