Carroll JK, Moorhead A, Bond R, LeBlanc WG, Petrella RJ, Fiscella K. (2017). Who uses mobile phone health apps and does use matter? A secondary data analytics approach. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 19(4): e125. doi: 10.2196/jmir.5604
Researchers analyzed data from the National Cancer Institute’s Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) to identify sociodemographic and attitudinal predictors of use of mobile applications for health and wellness (health apps) and relationships between health app use and meeting national recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity. Researchers used data from 3677 respondents to the 2014 HINTS to conduct analyses, which had a response rate of 34.44%. Of the total sample, 2392 respondents had an internet enabled device (i.e. tablet or smartphone). Respondents who had health apps (n=816) were more likely to be younger, urban, more educated, fluent in English, Asian, in excellent health, and have higher income than respondents who had not or could not use health apps. Predictive analyses showed that age, gender, and having graduated college were significantly predictive of having adopted health apps Having health apps were also more likely to have intentions to improve fruit and vegetable consumption, weight loss, and physical activity. Respondents who had health apps were also more likely to exercise more than two hours per week. Results indicated that having mHealth apps was related to age, gender, and educational attainment as well as intention to engage in health behaviors, but relationships to engaging health behaviors are less consistent.