Digital technologies are nowadays integrated into the everyday lives of children, with potential benefits or cognitive (learning, attention, memory, language, thinking, reasoning, and creativity), physical (physical activity, motor skills, cardiovascular fitness, health and wellness), and psychological (emotions, personality, and social relationships) development. Digital technologies (e.g., smartphones, mobile apps, websites, and text messaging, etc.) offer exciting, innovative, potentially highly effective methods for increasing knowledge, delivering persuasive messages, changing behaviors, and influencing health outcomes. As such, digital interventions are increasingly used to promote health behaviors among pediatric populations as these platforms have become more accessible, easier to use, and more acceptable to young families. In addition, there has been a growing number of methodologies aimed to apply emerging technologies in young children for the assessment of dietary intake, physical activity levels, cognitive functions, among others, then use those identified correlates/determinants to design and evaluate behavior change programs.
The purpose of this Research Topic is to present variety of methods and findings that use digital technologies to promote and/or track health behaviors in pediatric populations, with the ultimate goal to inform future technology-based behavioral intervention strategies and to address a wide range of targets including preventive health behaviors such as healthy eating, physical activity participation, and the maintenance of ideal body weight.
We encourage authors to share their most recent scientific studies that investigate the application of digital technologies in pediatric populations (birth to 18 years of age) for the health behavior promotion and determination. We are especially interested in young children such as toddlers and preschoolers as investigations in this field are insufficient for young age groups. All types of high-quality research studies (e.g., reviews, observations, and interventions, etc.) are encouraged. Of note, these digital technologies (i.e., eHealth and mHealth) include, but are not limited to, smart phones, mobile apps, computers, tablets, internet, wearable devices (e.g., fitness trackers, accelerometers) active and/or educational video games.
Digital technologies are nowadays integrated into the everyday lives of children, with potential benefits or cognitive (learning, attention, memory, language, thinking, reasoning, and creativity), physical (physical activity, motor skills, cardiovascular fitness, health and wellness), and psychological (emotions, personality, and social relationships) development. Digital technologies (e.g., smartphones, mobile apps, websites, and text messaging, etc.) offer exciting, innovative, potentially highly effective methods for increasing knowledge, delivering persuasive messages, changing behaviors, and influencing health outcomes. As such, digital interventions are increasingly used to promote health behaviors among pediatric populations as these platforms have become more accessible, easier to use, and more acceptable to young families. In addition, there has been a growing number of methodologies aimed to apply emerging technologies in young children for the assessment of dietary intake, physical activity levels, cognitive functions, among others, then use those identified correlates/determinants to design and evaluate behavior change programs.
The purpose of this Research Topic is to present variety of methods and findings that use digital technologies to promote and/or track health behaviors in pediatric populations, with the ultimate goal to inform future technology-based behavioral intervention strategies and to address a wide range of targets including preventive health behaviors such as healthy eating, physical activity participation, and the maintenance of ideal body weight.
We encourage authors to share their most recent scientific studies that investigate the application of digital technologies in pediatric populations (birth to 18 years of age) for the health behavior promotion and determination. We are especially interested in young children such as toddlers and preschoolers as investigations in this field are insufficient for young age groups. All types of high-quality research studies (e.g., reviews, observations, and interventions, etc.) are encouraged. Of note, these digital technologies (i.e., eHealth and mHealth) include, but are not limited to, smart phones, mobile apps, computers, tablets, internet, wearable devices (e.g., fitness trackers, accelerometers) active and/or educational video games.