Honors Theses
Date of Award
2014
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Pharmacy Administration
First Advisor
Matthew W. Strum
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus, being a prevalent disease in modern society, is moderately influenced by one's nutrition. Due to this, mobile programs created especially for tracking food intake can be an important aid for diabetics. The objective of this project was to analyze eight of the most prominent of these applications — MyNetDiary, GoMeals, MyFitnessPal, Fooducate, Lose It!, The Carrot, Diabetes In Check, and Daily Carb — to determine the subsets of diabetics that would benefit most from the utilization of each. Data was obtained through testing of each app and through the information provided by users on iTunes and Google Play and on the website of the company producing the app, if applicable. From these sources, the usability and features of the app were determined. To determine the usability of each app, both personal testing and user reviews were considered. Using the most basic version of each app, the efficiency and effectiveness were established through experimentation and trial entries. User satisfaction was ascertained by examining the ratings and reviews of each app as found on the iTunes App Store website. The features were deduced through a combination of all methods of data collection and analyzed based upon their usefulness to certain diabetics. Finally, recommendations were made for those who would be able to maximize the benefits of each app based on diabetes type, recency of diagnosis, severity of condition, eating habits, special dietary considerations, age, location, and other more specific factors. Findings show that specific apps appear to be more relevant to the generalized diabetic population but that even greater specificity of the apps is also pertinent for certain categories within the diabetic populace. Each of the eight apps could be recommended for certain groupings of diabetic individuals by being more relevant to their specific needs. Ultimately, the combination of personal characteristics for a user determines which app he should select in order to most effectively manage his diabetes.
Recommended Citation
Darby, Alaina Brooks, "Dieting for Diabetes: A Mobile 'App'roach" (2014). Honors Theses. 15.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/15
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