CLICK, SHARE, RECOMMEND: EXPLORING USER BEHAVIOUR IN MOBILE APP USAGE

Mobile applications (apps) constantly demand access to sensitive user information in exchange for more personalized services. These-mostly unjustified-data collection tactics have raised major privacy concerns among mobile app users. Existing research on mobile app privacy aims to identify these concerns, expose apps with malicious data collection practices, assess the quality of apps' privacy policies, and propose automated solutions for privacy leak detection and prevention. However, existing solutions are generic, frequently missing the contextual characteristics of different application domains. To address these limitations, in this dissertation, we study privacy in the app store at a domain level. Our objective is to propose automated solutions that are tailored to the specific data collection practices of each operational domain. The analysis in this dissertation can be divided into three main phases. In the first phase, we propose an automated solution to classify apps in the mobile app market into more coherent categories of functionally-related apps. In the second phase, we propose an effective approach for summarizing users' privacy concerns in mobile app reviews. Our objective is to help app developers identify and understand the most critical privacy challenges in their specific domain of operation. In the third phase, we conduct a qualitative analysis of mobile apps' privacy nutrition labels. Our objectives are to explore the information value of such labels, quantify the discrepancies between apps' privacy policies and their data collection labels, and identify privacy outlier apps in each domain. Based on our analysis, we suggest several design strategies to help app stores preserve the credibility and utility of their privacy label systems.

Mobile app privacy in software engineering research: A systematic mapping study

BackgroundOral health is a significant part of general health. Poor oral health can influence an individual’s appearance, self-esteem, eating, and speaking. The use of mobile phone apps has been growing in the field of medicine, including dentistry. However, to date, there is no evidence related to the availability of mobile apps focusing on various branches of dentistry.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to review the scientific literature on the use of patient-oriented mobile phone apps in oral health and summarize the key findings.MethodsA scoping review of published scientific literature on the use of patient-oriented mobile phone apps in oral health was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute. A search was performed in PubMed and Scopus for studies published between January 2000 and June 2021 that were written in English. All study types except for those reporting developmental protocols were included in this review. In total, 2 reviewers independently screened the studies using the eligibility criteria. The study protocol was registered in the Open Science Framework registries in June 2021.ResultsThe initial search yielded a total of 977 studies, 45 (4.6%) of which met the inclusion criteria. All the studies (45/45, 100%) were published after 2009. Most studies (31/45, 69%) concerned oral health promotion using mobile phone apps, followed by behavior management (5/45, 11%). More than half (23/45, 51%) of the included studies were conducted in Asian countries. Overall, 31% (14/45) of the studies focused on adolescents. A total of 51% (23/45) of the studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Approximately 39% (9/23) of the included RCT studies reported a substantial reduction in dental plaque, and 26% (6/23) of the studies reported significant improvement in gingival health. Regarding dental anxiety management, 13% (3/23) of the RCT studies reported a significant decrease in mean heart rate and lower Facial Image Scale scores.ConclusionsAccording to the literature, the use of mobile apps in oral health is increasing among patients, mainly children and adolescents. Many studies that have used mobile apps have focused on promoting oral health. However, other areas such as diagnostic and remote consultations (teledentistry) have until recently been neglected despite their great potential.

BackgroundThe proliferation of mobile health apps has greatly changed the way society accesses the health care industry. However, despite the widespread use of mobile health apps by patients in China, there has been little research that evaluates the effect of mobile health apps on patient experience during hospital visits.ObjectiveThe purpose of our study was to examine whether the use of mobile health apps improves patient experience and to find out the difference in patient experience between users and nonusers and the characteristics associated with the users of these apps.MethodsWe used the Chinese Outpatient Experience Questionnaire to survey patient experience. A sample of 300 outpatients was randomly selected from 3 comprehensive public hospitals (3 tertiary hospitals) in Hubei province, China. Each hospital randomly selected 50 respondents from mobile health app users and 50 from nonusers. A chi-square test was employed to compare the different categorical characteristics between mobile health app users and nonusers. A t test was used to test the significance in continuous variables between user scores and nonuser scores. Multiple linear regression was conducted to determine whether the use of mobile health apps during hospital visits was associated with patient experience.ResultsThe users and nonusers differed in age (χ22=12.2, P=.002), education (χ23=9.3, P=.03), living place (χ21=7.7, P=.006), and the need for specialists (χ24=11.0, P=.03). Compared with nonusers, mobile health app users in China were younger, better educated, living in urban areas, and had higher demands for specialists. In addition, mobile health app users gave significantly higher scores than nonusers in total patient experience scores (t298=3.919, P<.001), the 18 items and the 5 dimensions of physician-patient communication (t298=2.93, P=.004), health information (t298=3.556, P<.001), medical service fees (t298=3.991, P<.001), short-term outcome (t298=4.533, P<.001), and general satisfaction (t298=4.304, P<.001). Multiple linear regression results showed that the use of mobile health apps during hospital visits influenced patient experience (t289=3.143, P=.002). After controlling for other factors, it was shown that the use of mobile health apps increased the outpatient experience scores by 17.7%. Additional results from the study found that the self-rated health status (t289=3.746, P<.001) and monthly income of patients (t289=2.416, P=.02) influenced the patient experience as well.ConclusionsThe use of mobile health apps could improve patient experience, especially with regard to accessing health information, making physician-patient communication more convenient, ensuring transparency in medical charge, and ameliorating short-term outcomes. All of these may contribute to positive health outcomes. Therefore, we should encourage the adoption of mobile health apps in health care settings so as to improve patient experience.

The increased use of the internet is due to the rapid evolution of personal digital services such as laptops, palmtops, tablets, and smartphones. Most companies and industries are currently investing more in the use of mobile shopping apps to increase their global market share and orders from mobile applications. The increased use of mobile app and social media platforms play critical role in the online shopping experience. The research paper employed both qualitative and quantitative research methods investigate how online shopping via mobile app affects online shopping experience. The one-on-one interview was used as a quantitative research method to collect data for the study. A descriptive statistic method was used to analyze the data obtained from the respondents. The results obtained from the two research methods show that the majority of the participants from this study had a good experience in terms of search convenience when shopping online via mobile app (mean: 5.16) than through website (mean: 4.74). 50% of the respondents had the quality experience when shopping via mobile app in terms of access convenience (mean: 4.12) than shopping via website mode (mean: 3.44). 47.3% of the sample size representing the female respondent in the study had a good experience when shopping using the mobile app mode in terms of ease of use compared to the website shopping mode. 60% of the end-users of the online mobile shopping had a bad experience in terms of security concerns associated with online shopping. The main objective of the study is to investigate the contribution of mobile apps and social media on the online shopping experience by online consumers. Besides, the paper conducts a rigorous analysis to analyze the effects of enlarging online business on the mobile shopping experience.

Mobile health (mHealth) customers shopping for applications (apps) should be aware of app privacy practices so they can make informed decisions about purchase and use. We sought to assess the availability, scope, and transparency of mHealth app privacy policies on iOS and Android. Over 35,000 mHealth apps are available for iOS and Android. Of the 600 most commonly used apps, only 183 (30.5%) had privacy policies. Average policy length was 1755 (SD 1301) words with a reading grade level of 16 (SD 2.9). Two thirds (66.1%) of privacy policies did not specifically address the app itself. Our findings show that currently mHealth developers often fail to provide app privacy policies. The privacy policies that are available do not make information privacy practices transparent to users, require college-level literacy, and are often not focused on the app itself. Further research is warranted to address why privacy policies are often absent, opaque, or irrelevant, and to find a remedy.

Children with communication disorders experience difficulty in one or more areas of articulation and speech, language, fluency, voice and social communication, and they work with speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to improve their communication. With the rise of adoption and use for mobile applications among special education and healthcare service providers, SLPs also have implemented, and for some, contributed to the design of, mobile applications (apps) during clinical practice. However, how these mobile apps are designed and implemented for clinicians to facilitate their clients' communication and learning experiences during therapy remains underinvestigated. This qualitative research study investigates how mobile apps were designed for clinicians to target assessment and intervention goals. Additionally, it focused on how clinicians adopted these apps while integrating therapy techniques to facilitate their clients' learning. Informed by the Research, Practice, and Design for iPad Apps (iRPD) framework and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), semi-structured interviews were conducted with 37 licensed pediatric SLPs, including 23 SLPs who have used apps and 14 SLPs who have contributed to the design of their own mobile apps. Two rounds of qualitative coding via template analysis and thematic analysis were then used to analyse client and clinician characteristics, clinical practice, therapy tools, app characteristics, influential factors and app design and use recommendations. Results showed SLPs utilise different genres of assistive, educational and recreational game apps to support children's communication development when working with children who have diverse disorders and therapy needs across different age groups. SLPs who have designed their own apps emphasised the importance of following evidence-based practice, well-researched teaching methods and learning theories. Additionally, multiple financial, sociocultural, political and ethical factors contributed to the design, adoption and implementation of mobile apps during services. By understanding the clinician's app use practices situated in various therapy activities and techniques, we specified a list of design recommendations for app designers who are interested in creating mobile apps for supporting children's speech and language development. By bringing insights from both clinical practitioners as well as those with additional technical design backgrounds, this study contributes to the understanding of clinical practice needs and strategies and will lead to the most optimal app design and adoption practice to support the well-being of children with communication disorders. What is already known on the subject Speech language pathologist (SLPs) implement mobile apps for clients with diverse therapy needs, and their app adoption and use are influenced by multifaceted factors. Although prior studies have reported SLPs' mobile app use, additional information is still needed. For example, the research literature does not include how specific technology is used during therapy practice, or specific details about challenges and needs in implementing and utilising the technology. Additional research also needs to include influential factors (e.g., financial, sociocultural, political, ethical) that are considered when selecting, implementing, assessing and designing an app. The lack of research in these areas directly affects the understanding of clinical mobile technology practices and further hinders clinicians' abilities to advocate for better clinical and design decisions towards identifying and implementing effective mobile apps that facilitate children's communication. What this study adds to existing knowledge This qualitative study is the first known empirical research that interviewed pediatric speech-language pathologists who have used and designed mobile apps for children who receive speech-language therapy across different clinical settings. By investigating experiences from clinician stakeholders to illustrate a holistic overview of app design and development to deployment, this study reported finding on (1) how clinicians use mobile apps to help children to participate in different therapy activities, and (2) a list of recommended design and development guidelines that informs the design and use of mobile apps that best support and motivate children to engage in therapy. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? This study disseminates clinician-reported practices of app design and use with pediatric clients across different speech-language disorders, and identifies gaps and needs for clinicians and researchers who are interested in understanding the role of mobile technology in relationship to human communication and interaction. Additionally, the paper demonstrates that SLPs have instrumental roles rather than passive users in influencing the design and implementation of different genres of mobile apps through evidence-based clinical practice, and call for partnerships across clinicians, special educators and technologists to support children's communication development.

This paper aims to examine how mobile applications relate to learning and development. It will determine whether these two factors are properly intertwined and whether these two factors are fully justified in being related. As a result of examining the literature, and reviewing the results of our survey, we have developed a framework for research. This framework will provide evidence that mobile technologies have a positive impact on classroom performance both directly and indirectly. These technologies foster the learning and development process at all levels, which ultimately enhances the individual's competency by equipping him or her with a more comprehensive skill set. A total of one hundred and eighty interviews were conducted with educators during the research process. These interviews were conducted to develop the findings presented in this article on the impact of mobile applications in the classroom as a result of the research process. There is a growing body of research that suggests the use of mobile apps can be an effective tool for fostering creativity, learning, and development in a variety of settings, both formal and informal. They have been shown to be beneficial in a number of ways when it comes to promoting learning and development. When compared to traditional methods of teaching, mobile apps have shown to be more effective in promoting holistic learning and increasing learning speed than traditional methods of teaching, especially when it comes to promoting holistic learning and increasing learning speed. With the introduction of mobile applications to the education sector, many novel learning strategies have been developed within this sector as a result of the introduction of mobile apps. The use of mobile devices in the classroom has resulted in a number of changes in this respect. The use of mobile apps can provide students with a variety of games that are designed to encourage them to engage in a positive thought process as well as allow them to gain a deeper understanding of what they are learning as they interact with the games and become engaged with them on a more personal level. "Mobile learning" refers to the use of mobile devices and apps in order to facilitate the learning process in an attempt to facilitate the learning process mobile devices and apps in order to facilitate the learning process. The term may also refer to the way in which mobile technology can be used to support a continuous learning environment.

BackgroundMobile health technologies (mHealth) such as mobile applications (mobile apps), and wearables are gaining popularity. Regular monitoring of public attitudes toward the use of mHealth is crucial to effectively implementing mHealth in healthcare. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the level of use of mobile apps and wearables to monitor diet, weight, and physical activity among adults in Poland and to identify factors associated with the willingness to use new technologies for health monitoring.Material/MethodsThis cross-sectional survey was carried out on a representative sample of 1070 adult inhabitants of Poland, between 1 and 4 July, 2022. A computer-assisted web interview (CAWI) technique was used. The study questionnaire included 20 closed questions on eating habits, lifestyle, and the use of eHealth mobile apps and wearables.ResultsAlmost one-quarter of respondents (23.2%) used wearables (a band or a watch) to monitor physical activity and 14.4% had a smart bathroom scale at home. Among adults in Poland, 16.3% used mobile apps to monitor physical activity and 13.3% used mobile apps to control their diet. Out of 19 different socioeconomic and lifestyle factors analyzed in this study, younger age, healthy diet, regular physical activity, and participation in organized sports activities were significantly associated (P<0.05) with the use of mobile apps and wearables.ConclusionsA lack of socioeconomic barriers to accessing mobile apps and wearables presented in this study suggests that mHealth technology can be used to promote a healthy lifestyle in different socioeconomic groups and can reduce health inequalities.

Purpose: The influence of demographic characteristics on purchasing behaviour through mobile applications is a field of research that combines various scientific areas such as elements of consumer psychology, technology application and marketing. Personal characteristics that influence the purchase of mobile applications include age, gender, education level, individual differences in technology use and attitudes. The aim of this paper is to analyse the influence of personal characteristics on purchase intentions via mobile applications. In addition, we analysed the role of the same characteristics in the intention to recommend purchases via mobile applications. We also investigated the role of the time spent online on purchase and download behaviour. Methodology: The research was conducted using primary data based on a purposive sample of respondents aged between 18 and 48 collected from May to September 2023. Based on the nature of the dependent variable, binary logistic regression is used. Results: The results confirmed the importance of age and time spent online for the intention to download, while the level of education plays an important role for the intention to recommend mobile shopping apps. Conclusion: App developers and companies should consider personal characteristics of users when developing mobile applications and focus on creating features that encourage recommendations for those who are not inclined to use mobile apps in the context of shopping. Understanding the role of personal characteristics in mobile app usage, recommendation and download can help businesses and app developers adapt their mobile app marketing strategies, design user-friendly interfaces and create personalised shopping experiences to increase customer satisfaction and sales.

Mobile health applications for asthma

Personal data from mobile apps are increasingly impacting users’ lives and privacy perceptions. However, there is a scarcity of research addressing the combination of (1) individual perceptions of mobile app privacy, (2) actual dataflows in apps, and (3) how such perceptions and dataflows relate to actual privacy policies and terms of use in mobile apps. To address these limitations, we conducted an innovative mixed-methods study including a representative user survey in Norway, an analysis of personal dataflows in apps, and content analysis of privacy policies of 21 popular, free Android mobile apps. Our findings show that more than half the respondents in the user survey repeatedly had refrained from downloading or using apps to avoid sharing personal data. Our analysis of dataflows applied a novel methodology measuring activity in the apps over time (48 hr). The investigation showed that 19 of the 21 apps investigated transmitted personal data to a total of approximately 600 different primary and third-party domains. From an European perspective, it is particularly noteworthy that most of these domains were associated with tech companies in the United States, where privacy laws are less strict than companies operating from Europe. The investigation further revealed that some apps by default track and share user data continuously, even when the app is not in use. For some of these, the terms of use provided with the apps did not inform the users about the actual tracking practice. A comparison of terms of use as provided in the studied apps with actual person dataflows as identified in the analysis disclosed that three of the apps shared data in violation with their provided terms of use. A possible solution for the mobile app industry, to strengthen user trust, is privacy by design through opt-in data sharing with the service and third parties and more granular information on personal data sharing practices. Also, based on the findings from this study, we suggest specific visualizations to enhance transparency of personal dataflows in mobile apps. A methodological contribution is that a mixed-methods approach strengthens our understanding of the complexity of privacy issues in mobile apps.

The main purpose of the study is to evaluate the use and impact of mobile apps in learning: A study in the College of Business Administration, Baguio City for the School year 2021-2022. It involved one hundred fifty (150) CBA students as the respondents of the study. The research study utilized the descriptive research design the mixed method with a checklist and interview guide questionnaire as the main data gathering instrument. The following are the findings of the study: the mobile apps use in learning in the College of Business Administration (CBA) were the Facebook and Messenger, level of extent of agreement on the use and impact of mobile apps in learning in the College of Business Administration is agree; attitude towards use of mobile apps in learning in the (CBA) department is positive impact. The conclusions of the study are drawn from the findings: mobile apps have potential to enhance learning within the College of Business Administration, their effective implementation is crucial; not all students utilize these apps, and those who do not have varying opinions on their usefulness; and the study suggests further exploration on how mobile learning apps can improve students’ performance and motivation.

The main purpose of the study is to evaluate the use and impact of mobile apps in learning: A study in the College of Business Administration, Baguio City for the School year 2021 -2022. It involved one hundred fifty (150) CBA students as the respondents of the study. The research study utilized the descriptive research design the mixed method with a checklist and interview guide questionnaire as the main data gathering instrument. The following are the findings of the study: the mobile apps use in learning in the College of Business Administration (CBA) were the Facebook and Messenger, level of extent of agreement on the use and impact of mobile apps in learning in theCollege of Business Administration is agree; attitude towards use of mobile apps in learning in the (CBA) department is positive impact. The conclusions of the study are drawn from the findings: mobile apps have potential to enhance learning within the College of Business Administration, their effective implementation is crucial; not all students utilize these apps, and those who do not have varying opinions on their usefulness; and the study suggests further exploration on how mobile learning apps can improve students' performance and motivation.

Young men who have sex with men and young transgender women (YMSM-YTW) use online spaces to meet sexual partners with increasing regularity, and research shows that experiences of racism online mimics the real world. We analyzed differences by race and ethnicity in web-based and mobile apps used to meet sexual partners as reported by Chicago-based YMSM-YTW in 2016-2017. A racially and ethnically diverse sample of 643 YMSM-YTW aged 16-29 years were asked to name websites or mobile apps used to seek a sexual partner in the prior 6 months, as well as provide information about sexual partnerships from the same period. We used logistic regression to assess the adjusted association of race and ethnicity with (1) use of any website or mobile apps to find a sexual partner, (2) use of a "social network" to find a sexual partner compared to websites or mobile apps predominantly used for dating or hookups, (3) use of specific websites or mobile apps, and (4) reporting successfully meeting a sexual partner online among website or mobile app users. While most YMSM-YTW (454/643, 70.6%) used websites or mobile apps to find sexual partners, we found that Black non-Hispanic YMSM-YTW were significantly less likely to report doing so (comparing White non-Hispanic to Black non-Hispanic: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.74, 95% CI 1.10-2.76). Black non-Hispanic YMSM-YTW were more likely to have used a social network site to find a sexual partner (comparing White non-Hispanic to Black non-Hispanic: aOR 0.20, 95% CI 0.11-0.37), though this was only reported by one-third (149/454, 32.8%) of all app-using participants. Individual apps used varied by race and ethnicity, with Grindr, Tinder, and Scruff being more common among White non-Hispanic YMSM-YTW (93/123, 75.6%; 72/123, 58.5%; and 30/123, 24.4%, respectively) than among Black non-Hispanic YMSM-YTW (65/178, 36.5%; 25/178, 14%; and 4/178, 2.2%, respectively) and Jack'd and Facebook being more common among Black non-Hispanic YMSM-YTW (105/178, 59% and 64/178, 36%, respectively) than among White non-Hispanic YMSM-YTW (6/123, 4.9% and 8/123, 6.5%, respectively). Finally, we found that while half (230/454, 50.7%) of YMSM-YTW app users reported successfully meeting a new sexual partner on an app, Black non-Hispanic YMSM-YTW app users were less likely to have done so than White non-Hispanic app users (comparing White non-Hispanic to Black non-Hispanic: aOR 2.46, 95% CI 1.50-4.05). We found that Black non-Hispanic YMSM-YTW engaged with websites or mobile apps and found sexual partners systematically differently than White non-Hispanic YMSM-YTW. Our findings give a deeper understanding of how racial and ethnic sexual mixing patterns arise and have implications for the spread of sexually transmitted infections among Chicago's YMSM-YTW.