@Article{info:doi/10.2196/jmir.3283,
author="Cho, Jaehee
and Park, Dongjin
and Lee, H Erin",
title="Cognitive Factors of Using Health Apps: Systematic Analysis of Relationships Among Health Consciousness, Health Information Orientation, eHealth Literacy, and Health App Use Efficacy",
journal="J Med Internet Res",
year="2014",
month="May",
day="09",
volume="16",
number="5",
pages="e125",
keywords="health apps; health consciousness; health information orientation; eHealth literacy; health app use efficacy",
abstract="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. ",
issn="1438-8871",
doi="10.2196/jmir.3283",
url="http://www.jmir.org/2014/5/e125/",
url="https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.3283",
url="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24824062"
}