Application of Mobile Health Technologies to Prevent Unintentional Childhood Injuries: Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Unintentional childhood injuries represent a major public health issue affecting the lives and health of children worldwide, with the risk and injury type dynamically changing with age and developmental stage. To effectively prevent unintentional injuries, intervention measures must be adjusted based on actual circumstances and kept up to date in real time. Mobile health (mHealth) technologies can meet this need, but their specific functions and intervention methods remain unclear at present. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to conduct a scoping review of research on the application of mHealth technologies in the prevention and emergency management of unintentional injuries among children, with a focus on identifying the types of mHealth technologies used, intervention contents, and outcome measures, thereby providing a reference for related studies. METHODS: We systematically searched 5 databases-PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL-from their inception to December 31, 2025. Data extraction and synthesis were performed on the included studies. RESULTS: Of 1085 articles, 15 (1.3%) met the inclusion criteria, and 1 additional reference was added during full-text review. Thus, 16 studies were included. The included studies comprised 9 (56.2%) randomized controlled trials, 2 (12.5%) quasi-experimental studies, 3 (18.8%) mixed methods studies, 1 (6.2%) qualitative study, and 1 (6.2%) descriptive study. mHealth technologies included apps, WeChat, mobile-based e-learning programs, and virtual reality combined with wearable devices. Their functions included health education, interactive communication, monitoring and reminders, behavioral training, questionnaires and record-keeping, and emergency response. Outcome measures included the incidence of unintentional injuries among children; knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding injuries; other psychological and social indicators; and usability of mHealth technology. CONCLUSIONS: mHealth technologies have shown some progress in reducing unintentional injuries among children. Content based on this technology has demonstrated positive effects in reducing injury incidence, enhancing caregivers' awareness, and improving related attitudes and behavioral capabilities. However, only 2 mobile apps are currently available to the public. Future research should optimize the functional design of mHealth, strengthen sustainability, explore long-term implementation methods, and conduct large-scale, long-term studies to further evaluate its impact on the incidence of unintentional injuries among children. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Open Science Framework 8QPR6; https://osf.io/8qpr6.