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Naziha Chelaghma, Samson O Oyibo Department of Diabetes & Endocrinology, Peterborough City Hospital, Peterborough, UK Abstract: A 58-year-old man presented with a 3-year history of chronic and intermittent hyperkalemia requiring recurrent attendances to the emergency department for urgent treatment. His medical history included secondary diabetes mellitus following a bout of acute pancreatitis and a previous splenectomy for a spontaneous splenic rupture. He also had a history of prolonged use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for back pain and painful neuropathy. He was not on any medication or diet that would cause a raised serum potassium level and his renal function was normal. He was on a basal-bolus insulin regimen but his diabetes control had been poor for several years. As the hyperkalemia had gone on for so long in the presence of normal renal function, he went on to have further tests. Adrenal insufficiency had been ruled out following a short Synacthen test. Further investigations revealed low serum aldosterone levels and inappropriately low serum renin levels in the presence of hyperkalemia. This was suggestive of hyporeninemic hypoaldosteronism (HH). He was then treated with fludrocortisone and furosemide and his serum potassium levels remained normal. Additionally, he did not require any more emergency admissions to treat hyperkalemia thereafter. It was concluded that the HH-induced hyperkalemia was caused by diabetes mellitus or due to a combination of diabetes and prolonged use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The absence of renal impairment may have contributed to the delay in diagnosis. HH is a commonly overlooked cause of hyperkalemia. This case highlights the fact that it should always be suspected when unexplained hyperkalemia is found in patients with only mild-moderately impaired renal function, especially in the presence of diabetes mellitus. Keywords: hyperkalemia, diabetic nephropathy, juxtaglomerular cells, renin, aldosterone, fludrocortisone

Samson O Oyibo Department of Diabetes & Endocrinology, Peterborough City Hospital, Peterborough, UK Background: Having peer-reviewed articles published in medical journals is important for career progression in many medical specialties. Despite this, only a minority of junior doctors have the skills in the area of medical article publishing. The aim of this study was to assess junior doctors’ views concerning being involved in medical article publishing and whether they perceive involvement as an effective method of teaching.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to a convenience sample of doctors who had been involved in medical article publishing. Questions concerned training and involvement in publishing as junior doctors, effects on education and training, is it an effective method of teaching and should publishing be part of their education and training program. Questions used the 5-point Likert scale. Of the 39 doctors, 37 (94.9%) doctors responded.Results: Only one-third of respondents agreed that they had adequate training or involvement in medical article publishing during their undergraduate medical training. Many (78.4%) agreed that it was difficult to get published as a junior doctor. Publishing as a junior doctor improved knowledge about publishing, understanding of the topic and interest in the field of study for 92, 92 and 73% of respondents, respectively. Many (89%) agreed that publishing made them eager to publish more. Most (76%) agreed that it was likely to encourage interest in a postgraduate career in that field of study. A majority (92%) felt that involvement in medical article publishing is an effective method of teaching and it should be a part of the junior doctors’ education and training program.Conclusion: Junior doctors feel that involvement in medical article publishing contributes to learning and education and is an effective method of teaching. This supports the need to incorporate such training into the junior doctors’ education and training program. Keywords: medical publishing, effective teaching, junior doctor education, cross-sectional survey

Waiel A Bashari, Rebecca L Coates, Shahbaz Nazir, Naomi E Riddel, Oluwaseyi O Lawanson, Ahmed M Mohamed, Samson O Oyibo Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Peterborough City Hospital, Peterborough, UK Background and objective: Patient satisfaction is of paramount importance when delivering a patient-centered service. Our hospital has been a center for the use of radioiodine to treat thyrotoxicosis for several years, but we began carrying out patient satisfaction surveys and implementing changes after 2008. The aim of the project reported here was to assess patient satisfaction with our radioiodine treatment and telephone follow-up service, and to compare results with our previous surveys.Patients and methods: Anonymous patient satisfaction questionnaires were sent to all patients who received radioiodine treatment for thyrotoxicosis between January 2012 and December 2013. Patients were asked to answer four questions concerning informed consenting, treatment, and telephone follow-up using a four-point Likert scale, and post back the questionnaires. A suggestion box was included for comments and suggestions for improvement.Results: A total of 56 questionnaires were posted out (to 44 females and 12 males) and 34 questionnaires were returned (60.8% response rate). Between 94% and 100% of the responders, depending on the question asked, were satisfied with the service they received. Patients also put useful comments and suggestions in the suggestion box provided.Conclusion: Patients with thyrotoxicosis were satisfied with our radioiodine treatment and telephone follow-up service. This survey has revealed areas for service improvement, and highlights the importance of patient satisfaction when assessing a patient-centered service. Keywords: service improvement, patient-centered service, patient satisfaction survey, informed consenting

Effective persuasive messages are indispensable when it comes to using technology to motivate behavior change. However, no scoping or systematic review has explored the landscape of using conceptual frameworks to design and evaluate persuasive messages for effective persuasive communication in different domains. The primary aim of this review is to map published articles on conceptual frameworks that aid effective persuasive message design and evaluation in technology-driven interventions with a view to uncovering their potential and unfilled research gaps. The secondary aim is to uncover how persuasive message design and evaluation frameworks have been applied to address behavior change using the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals as an analytical lens. Our results show that about three-quarter of the articles on persuasive message design and evaluation frameworks were published in the last decade. While the reviewed user studies were not longitudinal, the presented frameworks show strong promise in fostering behavior change among the target audiences if implemented correctly. However, there is a need to (1) conduct more research among underrepresented groups (e.g., in lower-to-middle-income countries in Africa, South America, and Asia) and in unexplored domains related to other United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals other than Good Health and Wellbeing; and (2) move away from ad hoc design principles, use of only behavior theories, and non-use of validated frameworks towards using established behavioral theory-driven frameworks to design and evaluate persuasive messages to make them more effective.

Few development taxonomies of persuasive techniques that unify the key disciplines involved in the design of persuasive technology have been proposed. With most prior taxonomies existing in silos, it is difficult to see how different disciplines fit together to realize a persuasive system. The objective of this conceptual paper is to propose a unified taxonomy of persuasive techniques for persuasive technology design, called “ComTech,” that encompasses communication design, user experience design, and persuasive design by extending, refining, breaking down, and integrating relevant existing standalone taxonomies and frameworks. “Com” stands for the “communication design” aspect of persuasive technology, subdivided into two broad types: framing- and appeal-based. From the existing literature, we teased out six categories of communication design: non-equivalenT, Equivalence- and Modality-based framing, and Pathos-, Logos-, and Ethos-based appeal (TEMPLE). Moreover, “Tech” stands for the “technology design” aspect of persuasive technology, subdivided into two major components: user experience and persuasive design. Building on Walter's hierarchical model of user needs, we teased out seven dimensions of user experience design from the literature: Hedonic Quality, Usability, Efficacy, Dependability, Credibility, Utility, and Protectability (HUED CUP). Similarly, extending Oinas-Kukkonen and Harjumaa's Persuasive System Design taxonomy, we teased out six categories of persuasive strategies—Collaboration, Adaptation, Learning, Facilitation, Incentive, and Nudging (CALFIN)—grounded in sociopsychological theories. The six categories can be regarded as six pillars of persuasive technology, which, combined with communication and user experience design, can be employed to stimulate, motivate, and facilitate behavior change. The main contribution of the conceptual paper is theoretical in nature with practical applications in the persuasive technology domain. The ComTech taxonomy can help researchers and designers to visualize how the various persuasive techniques spanning communication design, user experience design, and persuasive design fit together to foster behavior change. Moreover, it can help behavior change stakeholders find, make sense of, and use the right persuasive techniques and strategies efficiently and effectively in the design, implementation, and evaluation of technological interventions aimed at changing behaviors in different domains such as health, education, and energy conservation.

The informal sector is characterized by limited relations with the tax authorities, which reduces the tax base. As a result, governments are forced to resort to other sources of financing, including public debt policy. This study provides an opportunity to analyze the relationship between the development of informal activities, changes in the general price level, and tax revenues in the case of Côte d’Ivoire. To this end, we empirically address this issue with the help of a linear econometric time series model over the period 1987-2020, using cointegration techniques. On the basis of the prediction of the linear model, the empirical results reveal that the Ivorian state would be rational if the policy of financing the economy were based on increasing the general price level to the detriment of taxes because of the extent of the development of informal activities. In addition, the Ganger causality test shows two significant unidirectional causalities. One from the informal sector to tax revenues and the other from price increases to tax revenues.

BackgroundMedication incidents (MIs) causing harm to patients have far-reaching consequences for patients, pharmacists, public health, business practice, and governance policy. Medication Incident Reporting and Learning Systems (MIRLS) have been implemented to mitigate such incidents and promote continuous quality improvement in community pharmacies in Canada. They aim to collect and analyze MIs for the implementation of incident preventive strategies to increase safety in community pharmacy practice. However, this goal remains inhibited owing to the persistent barriers that pharmacies face when using these systems. ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the harms caused by medication incidents and technological barriers to reporting and identify opportunities to incorporate persuasive design strategies in MIRLS to motivate reporting. MethodsWe conducted 2 scoping reviews to provide insights on the relationship between medication errors and patient harm and the information system–based barriers militating against reporting. Seven databases were searched in each scoping review, including PubMed, Public Health Database, ProQuest, Scopus, ACM Library, Global Health, and Google Scholar. Next, we analyzed one of the most widely used MIRLS in Canada using the Persuasive System Design (PSD) taxonomy—a framework for analyzing, designing, and evaluating persuasive systems. This framework applies behavioral theories from social psychology in the design of technology-based systems to motivate behavior change. Independent assessors familiar with MIRLS reported the degree of persuasion built into the system using the 4 categories of PSD strategies: primary task, dialogue, social, and credibility support. ResultsOverall, 17 articles were included in the first scoping review, and 1 article was included in the second scoping review. In the first review, significant or serious harm was the most frequent harm (11/17, 65%), followed by death or fatal harm (7/17, 41%). In the second review, the authors found that iterative design could improve the usability of an MIRLS; however, data security and validation of reports remained an issue to be addressed. Regarding the MIRLS that we assessed, participants considered most of the primary task, dialogue, and credibility support strategies in the PSD taxonomy as important and useful; however, they were not comfortable with some of the social strategies such as cooperation. We found that the assessed system supported a number of persuasive strategies from the PSD taxonomy; however, we identified additional strategies such as tunneling, simulation, suggestion, praise, reward, reminder, authority, and verifiability that could further enhance the perceived persuasiveness and value of the system. ConclusionsMIRLS, equipped with persuasive features, can become powerful motivational tools to promote safer medication practices in community pharmacies. They have the potential to highlight the value of MI reporting and increase the readiness of pharmacists to report incidents. The proposed persuasive design guidelines can help system developers and community pharmacy managers realize more effective MIRLS.

IntroductionSchistosomiasis is a significant public health concern, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Conventional microscopy is the standard diagnostic method in resource-limited settings, but with limitations, such as the need for expert microscopists. An automated digital microscope with artificial intelligence (Schistoscope), offers a potential solution. This field study aimed to validate the diagnostic performance of the Schistoscope for detecting and quantifying Schistosoma haematobium eggs in urine compared to conventional microscopy and to a composite reference standard (CRS) consisting of real-time PCR and the up-converting particle (UCP) lateral flow (LF) test for the detection of schistosome circulating anodic antigen (CAA).MethodsBased on a non-inferiority concept, the Schistoscope was evaluated in two parts: study A, consisting of 339 freshly collected urine samples and study B, consisting of 798 fresh urine samples that were also banked as slides for analysis with the Schistoscope. In both studies, the Schistoscope, conventional microscopy, real-time PCR and UCP-LF CAA were performed and samples with all the diagnostic test results were included in the analysis. All diagnostic procedures were performed in a laboratory located in a rural area of Gabon, endemic for S. haematobium.ResultsIn study A and B, the Schistoscope demonstrated a sensitivity of 83.1% and 96.3% compared to conventional microscopy, and 62.9% and 78.0% compared to the CRS. The sensitivity of conventional microscopy in study A and B compared to the CRS was 61.9% and 75.2%, respectively, comparable to the Schistoscope. The specificity of the Schistoscope in study A (78.8%) was significantly lower than that of conventional microscopy (96.4%) based on the CRS but comparable in study B (90.9% and 98.0%, respectively).ConclusionOverall, the performance of the Schistoscope was non-inferior to conventional microscopy with a comparable sensitivity, although the specificity varied. The Schistoscope shows promising diagnostic accuracy, particularly for samples with moderate to higher infection intensities as well as for banked sample slides, highlighting the potential for retrospective analysis in resource-limited settings.Trial registrationNCT04505046 ClinicalTrials.gov.

Abstract Background The availability of contraceptives, family planning guidelines, and Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials can increase access to family planning services. This study assessed the availability of commodities and readiness of primary health care (PHC) facilities in Delta State to offer family planning services. Methods A cross-sectional design with an explanatory mixed-method approach was used i.e., the authors first collected the quantitative data, and after preliminary analysis of quantitative information, the qualitative approach was utilised to gather data on the perspectives of 32 PHC facility managers and 6 reproductive health supervisors on factors affecting family planning service availability and readiness. Results Twenty-one (65.6%) of the PHC facilities surveyed offered at least five modern methods of family planning. Stock-outs of emergency contraceptives, implants, intra-uterine contraceptive device (IUCD), oral contraceptive pills (OCP), condoms, and injectables were observed in 31 (96.9%), 17 (53.1%), 13 (40.6%), 4 (12.5%), 2 (6.3%), and 1 (3.1%) of the facilities respectively. Eleven (34.4%) and 8 (25.0%) of the facilities had IEC materials and family planning guidelines, and contraceptive commodity checklists respectively. Seventeen (53.1%) of the facilities did not have complete records of family planning activities. Conclusion This study shows that a significant proportion of PHC facilities had stock-outs of contraceptive commodities, no complete records of contraceptive activities, no IEC materials and no family planning checklists. Continuous training of health providers and increased government commitment can help to improve contraceptive services.

Abstract Testicular torsion is a surgical emergency caused by rotation of the vascular pedicle of the testicle around its axis. If left untreated, testicular necrosis can set in, necessitating orchiectomy and loss of the testicle. The authors of this article reviewed articles on testicular torsion published in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this work is to establish the patient profile, consultation delay and orchiectomy rate in the sub-Saharan context. Data from the review will be compared with large non-sub-Saharan series and journals. Twenty-three articles were selected for review. All these articles were published between 1985 and 2022. A total of 1410 patients were included in the review. The average age was 19.7 years. The majority of patients were from urban areas. Risk factors for torsion were identified in 9 publications. The mode of hospital admission varied. Acute scrotal pain was the main symptomatology reported. The mean time in hours between onset of symptoms and consultation was 52.5 h. The left side was affected in 46.04% and the right in 49.81%. Four authors reported referral to a health center, and 8 authors reported scrotal ultrasonography. The rate of orchiectomy performed was found in 21 publications, the mean for the review as a whole was 46.4% with extremes of 13.2 and 72%. The orchiectomy rate was 52.4% in studies that reported an initial referral to a health center (patient transfer), versus 36.9% in studies that did not. In studies reporting ultrasound, the orchiectomy rate was 52.5%, compared with 36.9% in those not reporting ultrasound. On the basis of these results, we can formulate the following recommendations and actions: (i) further study of this pathology in sub-Saharan countries; (ii) raise public awareness of this pathology; (iii) train and retrain community workers and health center managers; and (iv) train general practitioners and surgeons in emergency scrototomy, orchidopexy and orchidectomy.

The purpose of this paper is to measure whether the investor operating on the Brussels Stock Exchange exhibits overconfidence behaviour, and to examine, under this hypothesis, the role of overconfidence in explaining fluctuations in the value of the BEL20 benchmark index over a 22-year period from 03 January 2000 to 21 October 2022. By exploiting econometric techniques in terms of causality and modelling conditional volatility, the results of this research show the presence of the excess confidence feature and its positive effect on the conditional volatility of the daily return of the BEL20 index.

Background and Aim:Self-monitoring of blood pressure (SMBP) is helpful in blood pressure (BP) status categorization and emerging evidence shows its beneficial impact on BP control. The study assessed the awareness and practice of SMBP and its associated sociodemographic factors among adult hypertensives in Southern Nigeria.Materials and Methods:The study was cross-sectional and questionnaire based. Eligible adult hypertensive patients attending a tertiary hospital in South-South Nigeria were randomly recruited from the cardiology clinic over one year.Results:Of the 364 hypertensive adults studied, the mean (± standard deviation) age was 59.34 (±14,308) years, males (192, 52.7%) and urban dwellers (273, 75%). A total of 287 (78.8%) were aware of SMBP, and 240 (65.9%) practiced it. Most (75, 60.5%) of the respondents who did not practice SMBP had no specific reason not to. Of the respondents who practiced SMBP, 226 (94.2%) owned a BP monitoring device, and 135 (56.3%) kept records of their BP readings, out of which 83% (112/135) cross-checked with clinic readings. The practice of SMBP was significantly associated with marital status (P = 0.038), education (P < 0.001), residence (P = 0.011), average monthly income (P = 0.020), and access to healthcare insurance (P = 0.042) but not with age, sex, and occupation.Conclusion:The awareness and practice of SMBP were high in this study. However, almost half of the respondents who practiced SMBP neither kept records nor cross-checked home BP with clinic readings, thus limiting the added clinical support offered by SMBP. Healthcare providers must continue educating patients to maximize the benefits of SMBP.

The measurement of the electronic bandgap and exciton binding energy in quasi-one-dimensional materials such as carbon nanotubes is challenging due to many-body effects and strong electron–electron interactions. Unlike bulk semiconductors, where the electronic bandgap is well known, the optical resonance in low-dimensional semiconductors is dominated by excitons, making their electronic bandgap more difficult to measure. In this work, we measure the electronic bandgap of networks of polymer-wrapped semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNTs) using non-ideal p-n diodes. We show that our s-SWCNT networks have a short minority carrier lifetime due to the presence of interface trap states, making the diodes non-ideal. We use the generation and recombination leakage currents from these non-ideal diodes to measure the electronic bandgap and excitonic levels of different polymer-wrapped s-SWCNTs with varying diameters: arc discharge (~1.55 nm), (7,5) (0.83 nm), and (6,5) (0.76 nm). Our values are consistent with theoretical predictions, providing insight into the fundamental properties of networks of s-SWCNTs. The techniques outlined here demonstrate a robust strategy that can be applied to measuring the electronic bandgaps and exciton binding energies of a broad variety of nanoscale and quantum-confined semiconductors, including the most modern nanoscale transistors that rely on nanowire geometries.

COVAX, the international initiative supporting COVID-19 vaccination campaigns globally, is budgeted to be the costliest public health initiative in low- and middle-income countries, with over 16 billion US dollars already committed. While some claim that the target of vaccinating 70% of people worldwide is justified on equity grounds, we argue that this rationale is wrong for two reasons. First, mass COVID-19 vaccination campaigns do not meet standard public health requirements for clear expected benefit, based on costs, disease burden and intervention effectiveness. Second, it constitutes a diversion of resources from more cost-effective and impactful public health programmes, thus reducing health equity. We conclude that the COVAX initiative warrants urgent review.

Fitness apps are persuasive tools developed to motivate physical activity. Despite their popularity, there is little work on how social-cognitive characteristics such as culture, household size, physical activity level, perceived self-efficacy and social support influence users’ willingness to use them and preference (personal vs. social). Knowing these relationships can help developers tailor fitness apps to different socio-cultural groups. Hence, we conducted two studies to address the research gap. In the first study (n = 194) aimed at recruiting participants for the second study, we asked participants about their app preference (personal vs. social), physical activity level and key demographic variables. In the second study (n = 49), we asked participants about their social-cognitive beliefs about exercise and their willingness to use a fitness app (presented as a screenshot). The results of the first study showed that, in the collectivist group (Nigerians), people in large households were more likely to be active and use the social version of a fitness app than those in small households. However, in the individualist group (Canadians/Americans), neither the preference for the social or personal version of a fitness app nor the physical activity level depended on the household size. Moreover, in the second study, in the individualist model, perceived self-efficacy and perceived self-regulation have a significant total effect on willingness to use a fitness app. However, in the collectivist model, perceived social support and outcome expectation have a significant total effect on the target construct. Finally, we found that females in individualist cultures had higher overall social-cognitive beliefs about exercise than males in individualist cultures and females in collectivist cultures. The implications of the findings are discussed.

Recent advances in rare disease research are accelerated by the work of consortia that have been supported by the National Institutes of Health. Development of such consortia rely on multidisciplinary relationships and engagement with patient advocacy groups, as well as the National Institutes of Health and industry and academic partners. In this rostrum we present the development of such a process that focuses on eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases. Principal investigators, patient advocacy groups, research assistants, and trainees work together to perform natural history studies that promote clinical trial readiness tools, conduct clinical trials, train a new generation of investigators, and perform innovative pilot studies.

Introduction: Nigeria recently used electronic surveillance tools for epidemic diseases, one such tool is the Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System (SORMAS); no readily available study has assessed the use of SORMAS in Nigeria. The title of this study is the usability of SORMAS for coronavirus disease among epidemiological officers in Delta State; it explored the ease of use, the effectiveness of SORMAS, its applicability, and the challenges with its use. Materials and Methods: This descriptive qualitative study involved disease surveillance and notification officers (DSNOs) and their assistants DSNOs in the year 2022; 25 of them were interviewed using two audio tape recorders after consent was obtained. Ethical clearance was obtained from the appropriate body. Thematic content analysis, with the help of Analysis of Qualitative Data software, was used to analyze data. Results: The findings showed that SORMAS was difficult to use for 100% of the respondents, particularly at the initial time, and subsequent use was relatively easy. About 100% of users found SORMAS to be effective for coronavirus disease 2019 surveillance and claimed it could be applied to other health diseases. About 100% of the respondents had challenges which included network problems, unavailability of adequate airtime, low technological know-how, software glitch, and hardware issues, among others. Conclusion: This study helped to outline the factors affecting SORMAS use, demonstrated that SORMAS was relatively easy to use after repeated training, was deemed effective by all respondents; applied to other health diseases, and its use was affected by several challenges.

Abstract With global progress towards malaria reduction stalling, further analysis of epidemiology is required, particularly in countries with the highest burden. National surveys have mostly analysed infection prevalence, while large-scale data on parasite density and different developmental forms rarely available. In Nigeria, the country with the largest burden globally, blood slide microscopy of children up to 5 years of age was conducted in the 2018 National Demographic and Health Survey, and parasite prevalence previously reported. In the current study, malaria parasite density measurements are reported and analysed for 7783 of the children sampled across the 36 states within the six geopolitical zones of the country. Asexual and sexual stages, and infections with different malaria parasite species are analysed. Across all states of Nigeria, there was a positive correlation between mean asexual parasite density within infected individuals and prevalence of infection in the community (Spearman’s rho = 0.39, P = 0.02). Asexual parasite densities were highest in the northern geopolitical zones (geometric means > 2000 μL−1), extending the evidence of exceptionally high infection burden in many areas. Sexual parasite prevalence in each state was highly correlated with asexual parasite prevalence (Spearman’s rho = 0.70, P

The informal sector occupies an important place in developing economies. This paper attempts both to estimate the size of the informal sector in Côte d’Ivoire over the period 1987-2020 and to determine its trend. The results obtained using the MIMIC method reveal that the size of the informal sector is equal to 42.35% of GDP in 2020, and also reveal that there is a growth and a positive trend of the informal sector in Côte d’Ivoire. Moreover, tax pressure, inflation and corruption play a determining role in the development of informal activities in Côte d’Ivoire.

BackgroundHealth-monitoring smart homes are becoming popular, with experts arguing that 9-to-5 health care services might soon become a thing of the past. However, no review has explored the landscape of smart home technologies that aim to promote physical activity and independent living among a wide range of age groups. ObjectiveThis review aims to map published studies on smart home technologies aimed at promoting physical activity among the general and aging populations to unveil the state of the art, its potential, and the research gaps and opportunities. MethodsArticles were retrieved from 6 databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, ACM Library, and Web of Science). The criteria for inclusion were that the articles must be user studies that dealt with smart home or Active Assisted Living technologies and physical activity, were written in English, and were published in peer-reviewed journals. In total, 3 researchers independently and collaboratively assessed the eligibility of the retrieved articles and elicited the relevant data and findings using tables and charts. ResultsThis review synthesized 20 articles that met the inclusion criteria, 70% (14/20) of which were conducted between 2018 and 2020. Three-quarters of the studies (15/20, 75%) were conducted in Western countries, with the United States accounting for 25% (5/20). Activities of daily living were the most studied (9/20, 45%), followed by physical activity (6/20, 30%), therapeutic exercise (4/20, 20%), and bodyweight exercise (1/20, 5%). K-nearest neighbor and naïve Bayes classifier were the most used machine learning algorithms for activity recognition, with at least 10% (2/20) of the studies using either algorithm. Ambient and wearable technologies were equally studied (8/20, 40% each), followed by robots (3/20, 15%). Activity recognition was the most common goal of the evaluated smart home technologies, with 55% (11/20) of the studies reporting it, followed by activity monitoring (7/20, 35%). Most studies (8/20, 40%) were conducted in a laboratory setting. Moreover, 25% (5/20) and 10% (2/20) were conducted in a home and hospital setting, respectively. Finally, 75% (15/20) had a positive outcome, 15% (3/20) had a mixed outcome, and 10% (2/20) had an indeterminate outcome. ConclusionsOur results suggest that smart home technologies, especially digital personal assistants, coaches, and robots, are effective in promoting physical activity among the young population. Although only few studies were identified among the older population, smart home technologies hold bright prospects in assisting and aiding older people to age in place and function independently, especially in Western countries, where there are shortages of long-term care workers. Hence, there is a need to do more work (eg, cross-cultural studies and randomized controlled trials) among the growing aging population on the effectiveness and acceptance of smart home technologies that aim to promote physical activity.