Toward a Better Understanding of the Intention to Use mHealth Apps: Exploratory Study

Background: An increasing number of mobile health (mHealth) apps are becoming available for download and use on mobile devices. Even with the increase in availability and use of mHealth apps, there has still not been a lot of research into understanding the intention to use this kind of apps. Object...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Authors: Palos Sánchez, Pedro Ramiro, Saura, José Ramón, Ríos Martín, Miguel Ángel, Aguayo Camacho, Mariano
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2021
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repository:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:idus.us.es:11441/127662
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/11441/127662
https://doi.org/10.2196/27021
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:mHealth apps
mobile apps
eHealth
promotion of health
TAM
PLS–SEM
COVID-19
id ES_7dc618e3ce8a4aecf7c915194ec08b2a
oai_identifier_str oai:idus.us.es:11441/127662
network_acronym_str ES
network_name_str España
repository_id_str
spelling Toward a Better Understanding of the Intention to Use mHealth Apps: Exploratory StudyPalos Sánchez, Pedro RamiroSaura, José RamónRíos Martín, Miguel ÁngelAguayo Camacho, MarianomHealth appsmobile appseHealthpromotion of healthTAMPLS–SEMCOVID-19Background: An increasing number of mobile health (mHealth) apps are becoming available for download and use on mobile devices. Even with the increase in availability and use of mHealth apps, there has still not been a lot of research into understanding the intention to use this kind of apps. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate a technology acceptance model (TAM) that has been specially designed for primary health care applications. Methods: The proposed model is an extension of the TAM, and was empirically tested using data obtained from a survey of mHealth app users (n=310). The research analyzed 2 additional external factors: promotion of health and health benefits. Data were analyzed with a PLS–SEM software and confirmed that gender moderates the adoption of mHealth apps in Spain. The explanatory capacity (R2 for behavioral intention to use) of the proposed model was 76.4%. Likewise, the relationships of the external constructs of the extended TAM were found to be significant. Results: The results show the importance of healthy habits developed by using mHealth apps. In addition, communication campaigns for these apps should be aimed at transferring the usefulness of eHealth as an agent for transforming attitudes; additionally, as more health benefits are obtained, ease of use becomes greater. Perceived usefulness (PU; β=.415, t0.001;4999=3.442, P=.001), attitude toward using (β=.301, t0.01;499=2.299, P=.02), and promotion of health (β=.210, t0.05;499=2.108, P=.03) were found to have a statistically significant impact on behavior intention to use eHealth apps (R2=76.4%). Perceived ease of use (PEOU; β=.179, t0.01;499=2.623, P=.009) and PU (β=.755, t0.001;499=12.888, P<.001) were found to have a statistically significant impact on attitude toward using (R2>=78.2%). Furthermore, PEOU (β=.203, t0.01;499=2.810, P=.005), health benefits (β=.448, t0.001;499=4.010, P<.001), and promotion of health (β=.281, t0.01;499=2.393, P=.01) exerted a significant impact on PU (R2=72.7%). Finally, health benefits (β=.640, t0.001;499=14.948, P<.001) had a statistically significant impact on PEOU (R2=40.9%), while promotion of health (β=.865, t0.001;499=29.943, P<.001) significantly influenced health benefits (R2=74.7%). Conclusions: mHealth apps could be used to predict the behavior of patients in the face of recommendations to prevent pandemics, such as COVID-19 or SARS, and to track users’symptoms while they stay at home. Gender is a determining factor that influences the intention to use mHealth apps, so perhaps different interfaces and utilities could be designed according to gender.Premio Trimestral Publicación Científica Destacada de la US. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y EmpresarialesJMIR PublicationsEconomía Financiera y Dirección de Operaciones2021info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/11441/127662https://doi.org/10.2196/27021reponame:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevillainstname:Universidad de Sevilla (US)InglésJMIR MHEALTH AND UHEALTH, 9 (9)https://mhealth.jmir.org/2021/9/e27021info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:idus.us.es:11441/1276622026-06-17T12:51:07Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Toward a Better Understanding of the Intention to Use mHealth Apps: Exploratory Study
title Toward a Better Understanding of the Intention to Use mHealth Apps: Exploratory Study
spellingShingle Toward a Better Understanding of the Intention to Use mHealth Apps: Exploratory Study
Palos Sánchez, Pedro Ramiro
mHealth apps
mobile apps
eHealth
promotion of health
TAM
PLS–SEM
COVID-19
title_short Toward a Better Understanding of the Intention to Use mHealth Apps: Exploratory Study
title_full Toward a Better Understanding of the Intention to Use mHealth Apps: Exploratory Study
title_fullStr Toward a Better Understanding of the Intention to Use mHealth Apps: Exploratory Study
title_full_unstemmed Toward a Better Understanding of the Intention to Use mHealth Apps: Exploratory Study
title_sort Toward a Better Understanding of the Intention to Use mHealth Apps: Exploratory Study
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Palos Sánchez, Pedro Ramiro
Saura, José Ramón
Ríos Martín, Miguel Ángel
Aguayo Camacho, Mariano
author Palos Sánchez, Pedro Ramiro
author_facet Palos Sánchez, Pedro Ramiro
Saura, José Ramón
Ríos Martín, Miguel Ángel
Aguayo Camacho, Mariano
author_role author
author2 Saura, José Ramón
Ríos Martín, Miguel Ángel
Aguayo Camacho, Mariano
author2_role author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Economía Financiera y Dirección de Operaciones
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv mHealth apps
mobile apps
eHealth
promotion of health
TAM
PLS–SEM
COVID-19
topic mHealth apps
mobile apps
eHealth
promotion of health
TAM
PLS–SEM
COVID-19
description Background: An increasing number of mobile health (mHealth) apps are becoming available for download and use on mobile devices. Even with the increase in availability and use of mHealth apps, there has still not been a lot of research into understanding the intention to use this kind of apps. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate a technology acceptance model (TAM) that has been specially designed for primary health care applications. Methods: The proposed model is an extension of the TAM, and was empirically tested using data obtained from a survey of mHealth app users (n=310). The research analyzed 2 additional external factors: promotion of health and health benefits. Data were analyzed with a PLS–SEM software and confirmed that gender moderates the adoption of mHealth apps in Spain. The explanatory capacity (R2 for behavioral intention to use) of the proposed model was 76.4%. Likewise, the relationships of the external constructs of the extended TAM were found to be significant. Results: The results show the importance of healthy habits developed by using mHealth apps. In addition, communication campaigns for these apps should be aimed at transferring the usefulness of eHealth as an agent for transforming attitudes; additionally, as more health benefits are obtained, ease of use becomes greater. Perceived usefulness (PU; β=.415, t0.001;4999=3.442, P=.001), attitude toward using (β=.301, t0.01;499=2.299, P=.02), and promotion of health (β=.210, t0.05;499=2.108, P=.03) were found to have a statistically significant impact on behavior intention to use eHealth apps (R2=76.4%). Perceived ease of use (PEOU; β=.179, t0.01;499=2.623, P=.009) and PU (β=.755, t0.001;499=12.888, P<.001) were found to have a statistically significant impact on attitude toward using (R2>=78.2%). Furthermore, PEOU (β=.203, t0.01;499=2.810, P=.005), health benefits (β=.448, t0.001;499=4.010, P<.001), and promotion of health (β=.281, t0.01;499=2.393, P=.01) exerted a significant impact on PU (R2=72.7%). Finally, health benefits (β=.640, t0.001;499=14.948, P<.001) had a statistically significant impact on PEOU (R2=40.9%), while promotion of health (β=.865, t0.001;499=29.943, P<.001) significantly influenced health benefits (R2=74.7%). Conclusions: mHealth apps could be used to predict the behavior of patients in the face of recommendations to prevent pandemics, such as COVID-19 or SARS, and to track users’symptoms while they stay at home. Gender is a determining factor that influences the intention to use mHealth apps, so perhaps different interfaces and utilities could be designed according to gender.
publishDate 2021
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2021
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/11441/127662
https://doi.org/10.2196/27021
url https://hdl.handle.net/11441/127662
https://doi.org/10.2196/27021
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv JMIR MHEALTH AND UHEALTH, 9 (9)
https://mhealth.jmir.org/2021/9/e27021
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv JMIR Publications
publisher.none.fl_str_mv JMIR Publications
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
instname:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
instname_str Universidad de Sevilla (US)
reponame_str idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
collection idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
_version_ 1869411688343666688
score 15,301603