Cognitive factors of using health apps: systematic analysis of relationships among health consciousness, health information orientation, eHealth literacy, and health app use efficacy.
BACKGROUND
Interest in smartphone health apps has been increasing recently. However, we have little understanding of the cognitive and motivational factors that influence the extent of health-app use.


OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to examine the effects of four cognitive factors-health consciousness, health information orientation, eHealth literacy, and health-app use efficacy-on the extent of health-app use. It also explored the influence of two different use patterns-information and information-behavior use of health apps-with regard to the relationships among the main study variables.


METHODS
We collected and analyzed 765 surveys in South Korea. According to the results, there was a negligible gender difference: males (50.6%, 387/765) and females (49.4%, 378/765). All participants were adults whose ages ranged from 19 to 59. In order to test the proposed hypotheses, we used a path analysis as a specific form of structural equation modeling.


RESULTS
Through a path analysis, we discovered that individuals' health consciousness had a direct effect on their use of health apps. However, unlike the initial expectations, the effects of health information orientation and eHealth literacy on health-app use were mediated by health-app use efficacy.


CONCLUSIONS
The results from the path analysis addressed a significant direct effect of health consciousness as well as strong mediating effects of health-app use efficacy. These findings contribute to widening our comprehension of the new, digital dimensions of health management, particularly those revolving around mobile technology.
School of Mass Communication, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jaehee
J
Cho
Dongjin
D
Park
H Erin
HE
Lee
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003071:Cognition; D054626:Consumer Health Information / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D057220:Health Literacy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063731:Mobile Applications; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012737:Sex Factors; D017216:Telemedicine; D055815:Young Adult
eHealth literacy; health app use efficacy; health apps; health consciousness; health information orientation