Jinglify: Development of Android-based Urine pH Level Monitoring Health Care App

Nulud, M. K. M.
Background of the Study

A high urine potential hydrogen or pH level may be a deteriorating factor for one’s

health, it can cause conditions deriving from an acidic environment. Such conditions include

acidosis, dehydration, diabetic ketoacidosis, diarrhea, and starvation. The same goes for high

alkalinity as an alkaline environment brings possibility or indication of kidney failure, UTI,

pyloric obstruction, and may even cause vomiting. (Nall, 2016).

Furthermore, urine pH level is a significant health determining factor that does not only

indicate a hint of possible symptoms or diseases, but it also acts as an overall window to

someone’s health, thus providing medical professionals valuable information regarding a

person’s whole being as the kidneys are regularly attacked by the acidic substances that ransack

minerals and causes high levels of toxins and pathogens that are accumulated in the body. Thus,

urine pH regulation is an important course of action to take note and be aware of.

As the rise of health care and fitness apps in mobile devices and wearables approach their

peak, it is undeniable that health monitoring apps have been very useful for people without

having to, for instance, counting steps manually during jogging and getting an accurate reading

of one’s heart rate with the help of a doctor or a professional. Expanding along with the fact that

the majority of the people nowadays possess and utilize mobile devices (i.e. smartphones and

tablets), this is taken into account and suggests that mobile device users, which is a major portion

of the population, have easy and quick access to such health care apps within just a few taps.

The industry of health care apps involve mostly fitness apps (specialized in monitoring

exercise, step count, agility, etc.), but a few ever specialize in urine pH level monitoring. There

are a few instances such as Ingawale’s uChek that is “a seemingly simple app that analyzes

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Jinglify: Development of Android-based Urine pH Level Monitoring Health Care App
Nulud, M. K. M.
chemical strips by first taking photos with your phone at predetermined times and comparing the

results that appear on the pee-soaked strip (sold for $20 per packet) to a color-coded map.”

(Copeland, 2013).

Although a per packet basis could be subject to viability for the mainstream and for their

encouragement to begin monitoring their urine acidity or alkalinity, an alternative could be a

device one could pay for in a single go without having to buy proprietary packets at a regular

interval and when in cases of insufficiency of supply. In addition, generic litmus papers follow

the same rule of having to repurchase on a repetitive basis, but knowing that it is neither an

electronic device nor an app that can suggest and recommend actions for urine pH regulation, it

deviates from uChek and the app that this study aims to develop.

In response to the scarce diversity of alternatives in monitoring urine pH level in the

health care app industry, and how diseases linked to urine pH could potentially be stopped, the

researcher aims to make an affordable, practical, and feasible alternative to monitor a person’s

urine pH level for the sake of healthy regulation.

Lastly, in choosing a platform for an app, especially for health care and fitness apps, the

platform should have a large user base coverage dominating the entire world in order to reach a

lot of people. Android OS is Google-owned and Linux-based whose source code is partially open

to the public. Originally developed by Android Inc., the company was later acquired by Google

in 2005. Android dominates the mobile OS market as it is integrated in 87% of phones, while

iOS comes at a distant second at 12% of all phones in the world. (“Apple Vs Android — A

comparative study,” 2017).

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Jinglify: Development of Android-based Urine pH Level Monitoring Health Care App
Nulud, M. K. M.
Statement of the Problem

1. What is the level of acceptability of the Android-Based Urine pH Level Monitoring

Health Care App in terms of:

1.1 Usefulness;

1.2 Functionality;

1.3 Maintenance and

1.4 User-Friendliness?

2. Is there any significant difference between the Android-Based Urine pH Level

Monitoring Health Care App, commercially available pH meter and Litmus Paper in

terms pH reading?

3. Is there any significant difference in the level of acceptability of the Android-Based

Urine pH Level Monitoring Health Care App in terms of usefulness, functionality,

maintenance and user-friendliness as perceived by the students and medical

professionals?

Research Hypotheses

Ho: There is no significant difference between the Android-Based Urine pH Level Monitoring

Health Care App, commercially available pH meter and Litmus Paper in terms pH reading.

Ha: There is no significant difference in the level of acceptability of the Android-Based Urine pH

Level Monitoring Health Care App in terms of usefulness, functionality, maintenance and user-

friendliness as perceived by the students and medical professionals.

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Jinglify: Development of Android-based Urine pH Level Monitoring Health Care App
Nulud, M. K. M.
Research Objectives

The researcher aims to make a health care dedicated system fusing both the advantages of

Arduino and Android in order to inform, remind, and educate users to control and regulate their

urine pH level by algorithmically giving suggestions and insights to the users.

In turn, provided that the user follows the measures the app suggests to be taken, the

researcher will have been successful in his intention to promote healthy living for the user’s

urinary system. The app intends to be user-friendly and easy-to-use without sacrificing the

incorporation of features and maintainability.

The study aspires to be one of the affordable and viable alternatives in the health care app

industry regarding urine pH monitoring and care, which is currently in a scarce and sterile state

as of now. Furthermore, the output aims to be a clinically reliable, useable, and functional device

for measuring pH for any medical purpose, as well as for any personal purpose.

Significance of the Study

Understanding the systems of body: how the pH level of our urine can determine the health risk

of a person.

Regulation of water intake, exercise, diet, and fitness is encouraged to the user.

Improvement of way of living is the aim, to help prevent diseases related to urine acidity.

Nascent knowledge of how we can prevent high level of acidity and alkalinity in an easy way.

Ease of use of the app is the researcher’s target, making the monitoring device easy to use and

deal with.

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Jinglify: Development of Android-based Urine pH Level Monitoring Health Care App
Nulud, M. K. M.
Promote healthy living by intelligently making suggestions to the user of what to do and what

he/she should do.

Hegemonic and instantaneous increase in health awareness for the user.

Levitate the sterile market for affordable urine monitoring devices in the health care app

industry.

Valid results starting from the sensors up to the analysis in the android phone.

Loquacious results continuously expanding and accurate enough for fine diagnosis.

Scope and Limitation

The study will apply the correlation between the pH level of bodily fluids, potential

health factors, and suggested vital signs. The samples of bodily fluids are only limited to human

urine and not of any other species or other bodily fluids.

The scope of the study involves the time and money spent, the tools/materials and

techniques used and the number of samples for the experiment to be completed. The general

budget of his experiment ranges from a minimum amount of 3,000 pesos to a maximum of 7,000

pesos.

The participants involved in the sampling and survey step of the methodology of this

study are chosen from Grade 12 STEM students of Rizal National Science High School and

medical professionals from, but not limited to, Angono Medics Hospital in Angono, Rizal.

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Jinglify: Development of Android-based Urine pH Level Monitoring Health Care App
Nulud, M. K. M.