Use of Mobile Health Applications and Wearable Devices in Preventive Health Behaviors: A Literature Review

Background: Mobile health applications and wearable devices are increasingly recognized as tools that can support preventive health behaviors by enabling behavioral monitoring, real-time feedback, tailored recommendations and intervention delivery outside conventional in-person healthcare settings. Their preventive relevance is closely related to the fact that many major chronic diseases are strongly associated with modifiable risk factors, including physical inactivity, sedentary behavior, unhealthy diet, obesity, insufficient sleep and poor cardiometabolic control. Aim: The aim of this narrative review was to examine how mobile health applications and wearable devices are used to support preventive health behaviors, with particular attention to physical activity, sedentary behavior, diet, weight management, diabetes prevention, cardiovascular prevention, sleep, user engagement and behavior change mechanisms. Methods: This paper was prepared as a narrative literature review based exclusively on the available evidence base, including systematic reviews, meta-analyses, umbrella reviews, scoping reviews, narrative reviews and selected review-oriented empirical papers addressing mHealth, eHealth and wearable interventions. The findings were synthesized narratively and organized into major preventive domains, including physical activity, sedentary behavior, nutrition, obesity, type 2 diabetes risk, cardiovascular prevention, sleep, personalization, behavior change techniques and implementation barriers. Results: The literature suggests that mobile and wearable technologies most consistently improve physical activity, reduce sedentary behavior, support selected dietary improvements, assist weight control and improve sleep-related outcomes, whereas their effects on anthropometric, functional and some metabolic endpoints are often more modest or heterogeneous. The most promising interventions usually combine self-monitoring with feedback, goal setting, personalization, additional behavioral support and, in some cases, gamification or social features. At the same time, many reviews emphasize that effectiveness depends not only on the device or application itself, but also on intervention quality, sustained engagement, follow-up duration, data accuracy, usability, privacy, interoperability and equity of access. Conclusion: Mobile health applications and wearable devices represent valuable tools for supporting preventive health behaviors, but their role is strongest when they function as part of a broader, behaviorally informed intervention strategy rather than as stand-alone technological solutions. Current evidence supports their usefulness particularly in physical activity promotion, dietary behavior change, weight management and sleep support, while also highlighting the need for further research on long-term effectiveness, sustainability, personalization, data protection and equitable implementation.