Work

The Use of General Health Apps Among Users with Specific Conditions: Why College Women with Disordered Eating Adopt Food Diary Apps.

Year: 2018

Type: article

Abstract: There is a myriad of mobile health applications designed to address a variety of health conditions. While these apps hold significant promise for the management of these conditions, users sometimes turn to general health apps, rather than those designed with their specific condition in mind, which can lead to unmet needs and worsened conditions. We outline one example by focusing on college women with disordered eating behaviors and their use of general food diary apps, rather than eating disorder-specific apps. We investigate the types of health apps they use and how they choose them, focusing on the role of motivations and search behavior. We found their initial motivation informs their search process, which results in their selection of general food diary apps. Researchers should consider app adoption as influenced by user motivations and navigation behavior, particularly when determining how and why general apps are used and how clinicians can help.

Source: Europe PMC (PubMed Central)

Authors: Elizabeth V Eikey, Kayla M Booth, Yunan Chen, Kai Zheng

Institutions: University of California, Irvine, University of Pittsburgh

Language: English

Topic: Mobile Health and mHealth Applications

Subfield: General Health Professions

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institutes of Health

Awards: Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, NRSA Training Core