Australian scientists are running hard in the emerging discipline of using electronic and mobile monitors to research health.

A bunch of researchers, including an assembly of Australians, analysed the Web of Science for research publishing on electronic and mobile health approaches addressing diet, sedentary behaviour and related problems. Their findings appear in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

They found Australian researchers rate second in the world for papers published, with 195 articles in surveyed journals, 11 per cent of the total, second to the US with 836 (49 per cent).  Corresponding authors in Australia were also second most cited, after the US.

The most prolific researcher is CQU’s Corneel  Vandelanotte with 43 papers, cited 1379 times.  Google scholar reports his H index as 38.

Professor Vandelanotte is at the front of a fast paced field – just under half the identified papers in this study were published in 2014-16. However the authors counsel caution; “the trend of using the newest technologies to address health behaviours is expected to continue, but whether these technologies have a meaningful and long-lasting impact on people’s physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and dietary habits needs to be seen.”