Women's experiences of safety apps for sexualized violence: a narrative scoping review.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
Sexualized violence against women is a significant human rights problem worldwide. Safety apps have the capacity to provide women with resources to prevent or respond to experiences of sexualized violence.Methods
The aim of the following study was to review the scope of the literature on women's experiences of safety apps related to sexualized violence. The databases Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Scopus were systematically searched, and seven studies were included in this review.Results
Thematic analysis identified the following themes in the literature: (1) security; (2) accessibility; and (3) knowledge.Conclusion
The gaps in the literature are identified and implications and recommendations for future research is discussed.
SUBMITTER: Doria N
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8719390 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Women's experiences of safety apps for sexualized violence: a narrative scoping review.
Doria Nicole N Ausman Christine C Wilson Susan S Consalvo Annalisa A Sinno Jad J Boulos Leah L Numer Matthew M
BMC public health 20211230 1
<h4>Background</h4>Sexualized violence against women is a significant human rights problem worldwide. Safety apps have the capacity to provide women with resources to prevent or respond to experiences of sexualized violence.<h4>Methods</h4>The aim of the following study was to review the scope of the literature on women's experiences of safety apps related to sexualized violence. The databases Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Scopus were systematically searched, and seven studies were included in ...[more]
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Project description:ObjectivePregnant women are increasingly turning to apps targeting knowledge and behaviour change for supporting healthy lifestyles and managing medical conditions. Yet, there is growing concern over the credibility and safety of content within mobile health (mHealth) apps. This scoping review aimed to systematically and thematically consolidate safety considerations described in reviews evaluating pregnancy-specific apps.MethodsPubMed, Ovid MEDLINE® and EPub, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Libraries, and SCOPUS were systematically searched to identify reviews that assessed apps targeting pregnant women. Data related to safety were extracted and thematically analysed to establish a set of relevant safety considerations.ResultsSixteen reviews met the inclusion criteria. The included reviews assessed an average of 27 apps each and targeted pregnancy topics, such as nutrition and physical activity. Five major and 20 minor themes were identified, including information, transparency, credibility, privacy and security, and app tailoring. Information, transparency, and credibility relate to the evidence base of information within the app, privacy and security of apps relate to the protection of personal information and data, and app tailoring relates to the consideration of contextual factors, such as local guidelines and digital health literacy.ConclusionsResults present possible safety considerations when evaluating pregnancy-specific apps and emphasise a clear need for consumer guidance on how to make informed decisions around engagement and use of mHealth apps during pregnancy.
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Project description:BackgroundPersonal safety is a widespread public health issue that affects people of all demographics. There is a growing interest in the use of mobile apps for enhancing personal safety, particularly for children and youth at risk, who are among the most vulnerable groups in society.ObjectiveThis study aims to explore what is known about the use of mobile apps for personal safety among children and youth identified to be "at risk."MethodsA scoping review following published methodological guidelines was conducted. In total, 5 databases (Scopus, SocINDEX, PsycINFO, Compendex, and Inspec Archive) were searched for relevant scholarly articles published between January 2005 and October 2023. The gray literature was searched using Google and Google Scholar search engines. The results were reported using the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. For summarizing the features and users' experiences of the apps, a published framework for evaluating the quality of mobile health apps for youth was used.ResultsA total of 1986 articles were identified, and 41 (2.1%) were included in the review. Nine personal safety apps were captured and categorized into 4 groups based on the goals of the apps, as follows: dating and sexual violence prevention (n=4, 44% of apps), bullying and school violence prevention (n=2, 22% of apps), self-harm and suicide prevention (n=2, 22% of apps), and homeless youth support (n=1, 11% of apps). Of the 41 articles, 25 (61%) provided data solely on app descriptions and features, while the remaining 16 (39%) articles provided data on app evaluations and descriptions. Outcomes focused on app engagement, users' experiences, and effectiveness. Four articles reported on app use, 3 (75%) of which reported relatively high app use. Data on users' experience were obtained from 13 studies. In general, participants found the app features to be easy to use and useful as educational resources and personal safety tools. Most of the views were positive. Negative perceptions included redundancy of app features and a lack of usefulness. Five apps were evaluated for effectiveness (n=2, 40% dating and sexual violence prevention; n=2, 40% self-harm and suicide prevention; and n=1, 20% bullying and school violence prevention) and were all associated with a statistically significant reduction (P=.001 to .048) in harm or risk to participants at the 95% CI.ConclusionsAlthough many personal safety apps are available, few studies have specifically evaluated those designed for youth. However, the evidence suggests that mobile safety apps generally appear to be beneficial for reducing harm to at-risk children and youth without any associated adverse events. Recommendations for future research have been made to strengthen the evidence and increase the availability of effective personal safety apps for children and youth.
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| S-EPMC4506414 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesUterine adenomyosis is a common gynaecological disease that can be debilitating. It is poorly understood and may be overlooked in clinical settings. A research gap exists as there are currently no published scoping reviews on perceptions and experiences early in the illness course. As part of a professional doctorate thesis, the aim of this review is to systematically retrieve and describe available literature, exploring the impact of living with adenomyosis and perceptions of the diagnostic journey.DesignA scoping review is conducted using JBI methodology.Data sourcesMedline, CINAHL Plus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Cochrane library, JBI and PROSPERO databases, EThOS online and Google. Searches were made from database inception to July 2023.Eligibility criteriaThe characteristics of the evidence sourced were deliberately broad. Studies exploring the experiences and perceptions of women diagnosed with adenomyosis were considered.Data extraction and synthesisTitles and abstracts were initially screened. Subsequently, eligibility was clarified through methods section inspection, and the remaining studies were read in depth. A manual hand-search of references of selected studies was conducted. Prespecified data were extracted, charted and categorised into themes.ResultsSix eligible studies were found, with themes describing impact and burdens, as well as several categories of unsupported needs. No studies specifically focused on perceptions of the diagnostic journey, but some eligible studies made minor reference to this and are included.ConclusionsThis review highlights the profound impact of adenomyosis and is the first to explore the lived experiences and the diagnostic journey. Understanding the burdens of disease in terms of perceptions and lived experience in combination with the experiences of diagnostic interactions is vital to improving diagnostic pathways. Education with improved multidisciplinary collaboration and further qualitative and case study research will be crucial to achieve this goal.RegistrationA priori protocol was registered (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/2UDYN) and published (https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075316).
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| S-EPMC8352206 | biostudies-literature