TY  - JOUR
AU  - Cho, Jaehee
AU  - Park, Dongjin
AU  - Lee, H Erin
PY  - 2014
DA  - 2014/05/09
TI  - Cognitive Factors of Using Health Apps: Systematic Analysis of Relationships Among Health Consciousness, Health Information Orientation, eHealth Literacy, and Health App Use Efficacy
JO  - J Med Internet Res
SP  - e125
VL  - 16
IS  - 5
KW  - health apps
KW  - health consciousness
KW  - health information orientation
KW  - eHealth literacy
KW  - health app use efficacy
AB  - 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. 
SN  - 1438-8871
UR  - http://www.jmir.org/2014/5/e125/
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.3283
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24824062
DO  - 10.2196/jmir.3283
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/jmir.3283
ER  -