Adoption Of Apps Research Articles

Elucidating the role of emotion in privacy-concerns: A text-Convolutional Neural Network (Text-CNN)-based tweets analysis of contact tracing apps

The extant contact tracing privacy literature is yet to explore the significance of user emotions in privacy-related decision-making such as whether to use such potentially privacy-invasive apps. Using social media analytics, the present study examines users’ privacy-related emotions stimulated by privacy-related aspects of contact tracing apps. A text-Convolutional Neural Network (Text-CNN)-based emotion analysis of tweets on the Indian contact tracing app Aarogya Setu and its Singaporean counterpart TraceTogether conducted in the paper reveals that users expressed negative privacy-related emotions towards these apps indicating high levels of perceived privacy risks and the perceived lack of privacy protection. For TraceTogether, users have also exhibited positive emotions to appreciate the steps taken by the government to protect their privacy. Based on these findings, the government/data controllers can devise strategies to assuage users’ negative emotions and promote positive emotions to encourage the adoption of contact tracing apps. This work incorporates privacy related emotions as key informants about user privacy concerns within the Privacy Calculus Theory. By relying on candid user opinions available through rich but inexpensive user-generated content, the research provides a quick, reliable, and cost-effective approach to study potential app users’ emotions to gain insights into privacy concerns related to any e-governance platform.

User experience of assistive apps among people with visual impairment

BACKGROUND: Today, various emerging assistive applications (apps) running on smartphones have been introduced such as Seeing AI, TapTapSee, and BeMyEyes apps. The assistive apps are designed to assist people with visual impairment in navigating unfamiliar environments, reading text, identifying objects and persons. Yet, little is known about how those with visual impairment perceive the assistive apps. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to advance knowledge of user experience with those assistive apps. METHODS: To address the knowledge gap, this study conducted phone interviews with a convenience sample of 30 individuals with visual impairment. RESULTS: The results indicated that those with visual impairment showed a range of preferences, needs, and concerns about user interfaces and interactions with the assistive apps. DISCUSSIONS: Given their needs and concerns, this study offered a set of facilitators to promote user adoption of the assistive apps, which should be valuable guidance to user interface/interaction designers in the field.

Predictors of contact tracing app adoption: Integrating the UTAUT, HBM and contextual factors

Contact tracing apps (CTAs) have been introduced as a means to identify and isolate possible cases infected with COVID-19. Since the adoption rate determines the effectiveness of CTAs, it is important to examine what factors contribute to a higher CTA uptake. This study aimed to use an integrative approach to explain early CTA adoption, whereby three perspectives are distinguished: technology-related (derived from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology [UTAUT]), health-related (derived from the Health Belief Model [HBM]), and context-related. A survey was administered among a representative sample of the Dutch population (N = 1865). A hierarchical logistic regression analysis was performed in which the models were compared. Results showed that an integrative model including all three perspectives (i.e., UTAUT, HBM, and context-related variables) resulted in better model fit than any of the other models. All UTAUT variables were associated with CTA adoption in the expected directions. Regarding the HBM, self-efficacy, perceived barriers and perceived benefits were associated with CTA adoption in the expected directions. Several context-related variables, such as fear, were associated with CTA adoption. Our findings demonstrate that extending the UTAUT with preventive health-behavioral factors and contextual factors contribute to better understanding of CTA adoption.

To Use or Not to Use: It Is a Question—An Empirical Study on the Adoption of Mobile Finance

Due to its important impact on sustainable development, mobile finance spreads fast. However, what factors and how these factors impact the adoption of mobile finance apps are still unknown. This research employs UTAUT and research on mobile banking and payment to explore the adoption of mobile finance apps. A total of 348 questionnaires were collected online and offline and analyzed by SEM. The results show that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, trust, and perceived risk affect the intention to use mobile finance. This study makes theoretical contributions by contextualizing UTAUT and considering the indigenized factors in China and offers practical implications for mobile finance operators.

The effectiveness and usability of a novel mobile phone-based self-care intervention for patients with heart failure: a mixed-methods pilot study.

To evaluate the preliminary effectiveness and usability of a novel mobile phone-based self-care intervention (named WithUs) for patients with heart failure (HF). We conducted a mixed-methods pilot study with group pre-test-post-test design and usability testing. Participants were 26 Korean HF patients (20 men; median age 62 years) who took part in this study after hospital discharge. Data were collected at baseline and after the 24-week intervention, using questionnaires and interviews. The outcome variables were eHealth literacy, disease knowledge, and self-care behaviours. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the pre- and post-intervention results. Thematic analysis was used for analysing qualitative data. The WithUs programme improved the eHealth literacy (P = 0.005), disease knowledge (P < 0.001), and self-care behaviours (P < 0.001) of patients with HF. The median score of total app usability was 4.1 out of 5 (interquartile range = 4.0-5.0). Four themes were identified which complemented the quantitative results. These were increased awareness of the importance of routine self-care behaviours, enhanced motivation toward self-care behaviours, challenges adapting to the new app, and suggestions for improving app adoption. The app was effective in improving adherence to self-care behaviours, eHealth literacy, and disease knowledge in patients with HF. The usability evaluation results showed that the app is usable and has the potential to support HF patients in self-care. However, the app needs to be modified to improve its adoption.

What Determines Intentions to Use Mobile Fitness Apps? The Independent and Joint Influence of Social Norms

To better understand how different psychosocial components motivate the use of mobile fitness apps, this study integrates two major theories in behavior prediction, theory of planned behavior (TPB) and theory of normative social behavior (TNSB). An online survey was conducted with a random sample of undergraduate students (N = 558) registered at a large public university in Singapore. Results show that participants’ outcome expectations, descriptive norms, and perceived behavioral control predicted their intention to use mobile fitness apps, but not injunctive norms. Perceived behavioral control exerted stronger influence on use intention among current users than non-users. In the TPB-TNSB integrated model, group identification significantly moderated the relationship between descriptive norms and use intention, regardless of the user status. This study provides an improved understanding of how components of social influence affect the adoption of mobile fitness app by taking a novel approach to integrate two distinctive theories in behavior prediction.

IMC and its impact on intention to use Mobile based fitness apps

Use of smart devices and mobile based fitness apps are new in India and people are hesitating to adopt it as a personal fitness coach or fitness guide. Little knowledge or known factors explored regarding determinants that affect intention to use of fitness apps, and role of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) on adoption of such fitness apps. We examine the intention to use fitness apps. We studied the effect of IMC on intention to use fitness apps and other relationships were also checked. Variables we took for the study are IMC, Usability, Trust, Experience and Intention to Use (ITU). The study has been conducted with the help of 263 respondents, those using fitness apps for their personal fitness goals. Administered questionnaire was used for data collection and partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique has been used to analyze the model and hypotheses check. The model triggered that ITU has significance influenced by IMC, experience, trust directly, usability have indirect effect with help of positive experience, IMC has direct effect on usability and trust, IMC has indirect effect on experience with the help of usability. Overall, the fitness app intention to use has been positively influence by the other variables of the study.

The Influence of Content Presentation on Users’ Intention to Adopt mHealth Applications: Based on the S-O-R Theoretical Model

The development of internet technology enables mobile medical health (mHealth) applications (Apps) to provide users with health services. The content presentation of apps is an important factor affecting users’ adoption of mHealth Apps. This study aims to examine the effect of the content presentation of mHealth Apps on users’ adoption intention, using the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) theory as the theoretical framework. A model of the effect of the content presentation of mHealth Apps on users’ intention to adopt, integrating perceived value and trust, was constructed. Furthermore, a quantitative study using a questionnaire survey was carried out to test the model. The analysis shows that platform information presentation, guidance information presentation, and relational information presentation indirectly have a significant positive effect on willingness toward participation and recommendation through the mediating effect of perceived value or trust. All three presentations have a significant positive effect on perceived value. Platform information presentation has a significant positive effect on trust in contrast to the other two presentations. In addition, the results reveal that perceived value and trust have a significant positive effect on willingness toward participation and recommendation, respectively. However, the effect of perceived value on trust is not significant. This work could provide measures and suggestions to improve users’ intention to adopt mHealth Apps as well as help researchers, developers, service providers, and app users to use and improve this modern mobile medical service.

Shopping app features: their impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty

ABSTRACT Shopping apps support consumers in their shopping process at different stages of the customer journey. They can contain various features, such as an online magazine, shipment tracking or a QR code Scanner. Consumers have the possibility to send product links to friends, chat with retailers’ staff, participate in loyalty programs, find a physical store nearby or pay within the app. Consequently, app features represent several touchpoints within the customer journey. Shopping apps are an attractive way for retailers to engage with their customers and increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. Several studies mainly focus on the adoption of mobile apps, while our study investigates the potential outcomes. It further considers the app design by analysing how three app feature groups (pre-purchase, transaction, cross-channel) influence app and retailer satisfaction. Moreover, we consider consumers’ channel preference at different stages of the customer journey. To validate our findings, we conducted the study in three different retail sectors. Results show that nearly all feature groups have a positive impact on customer satisfaction with the app and retailer respectively in different sectors. However, consumers’ channel preference has a moderating impact on the relationship between app features and customer satisfaction. Our findings provide implications on how to design and advertise shopping apps.

Factors Influencing the Adoption of Voluntary Nonpharmaceutical Interventions to Control COVID-19 in Japan: Cross-sectional Study.

BackgroundTrust in government is seen to facilitate crisis management and policy instrument adoption across numerous studies. However, in Japan, public support for government handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and trust in the government is low, yet the adoption of voluntary nondigital nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) is high. This is an important tension this study seeks to unravel.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to understand the antecedents of nondigital NPI and tracking app adoption in the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.MethodsA commercial company was contracted to deliver an online survey of 1248 Japanese citizens in December 2020. A quota technique was used to deliver a sample representative in terms of gender, age, residence, income, and education.ResultsThe adoption of voluntary nondigital NPIs is predicted by confidence in public health scientists and a favoring of infection control over reducing economic and social costs. A novel and unexpected finding is that trust in government does not predict nondigital NPI use. Perceived risk and knowledge of infection did not increase the use of nondigital NPIs. Education and income were not significant factors, although female and older respondents demonstrated greater compliance. For the adoption of a phone tracking app, trust in government is important, as is urban residence, albeit with a lower use of the app compared to nondigital NPIs.ConclusionsVoluntary compliance in the adoption of nondigital NPIs—if skillfully led by trusted scientific experts and in accord with societal norms—can be effectively achieved. We provide evidence that trust in government is effective in encouraging the use of the Japanese tracking app. Moreover, the technical efficacy of digital initiatives and perceptions of such will unsurprisingly affect citizen support and use of digital tools.

Green Information System (GIS) Model in the Conference Sector: Exploring Attendees' Adoption Behaviors for Conference Apps.

IntroductionAcademic conferences are carbon-intensive. Conference travel by air contributes to huge amount of global greenhouse gas emissions, which can be reduced by adopting green information systems (green IS or GIS). This study aims to investigate attendees’ behaviors for adopting green IS (such as conference apps) from an ecological perspective.MethodsFor this research, a survey method was used. Survey instrument had 29 items adapted from existing scales. Data was collected using Mturk’s panel of respondents on online Qualtrics. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted on 403 responses for data analysis and validation of the results using SPSS AMOS ver. 24.FindingsThis study provides empirical evidence to add ecological beliefs as a key predictor of green IS adoption models. Findings demonstrate that attitudes and ecological beliefs play an essential role in conference app adoption, in comparison with performance expectations, social impacts, and facilitation conditions, as presented in the traditional technology acceptance literature. Findings assist conference owners develop essential communication strategies for green attendees.

Diabetes Self-management Apps: Systematic Review of Adoption Determinants and Future Research Agenda.

BackgroundMost diabetes management involves self-management. Effective self-management of the condition improves diabetes control, reduces the risk of complications, and improves patient outcomes. Mobile apps for diabetes self-management (DSM) can enhance patients’ self-management activities. However, they are only effective if clinicians recommend them, and patients use them.ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the determinants of DSM apps’ use by patients and their recommendations by health care professionals (HCPs). It also outlines the future research agenda for using DSM apps in diabetes care.MethodsWe systematically reviewed the factors affecting the adoption of DSM apps by both patients and HCPs. Searches were performed using PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Cochrane Central, ACM, and Xplore digital libraries for articles published from 2008 to 2020. The search terms were diabetes, mobile apps, and self-management. Relevant data were extracted from the included studies and analyzed using a thematic synthesis approach.ResultsA total of 28 studies met the inclusion criteria. We identified a range of determinants related to patients’ and HCPs’ characteristics, experiences, and preferences. Young female patients were more likely to adopt DSM apps. Patients’ perceptions of the benefits of apps, ease of use, and recommendations by patients and other HCPs strongly affect their intention to use DSM apps. HCPs are less likely to recommend these apps if they do not perceive their benefits and may not recommend their use if they are unaware of their existence or credibility. Young and technology-savvy HCPs were more likely to recommend DSM apps.ConclusionsDespite the potential of DSM apps to improve patients’ self-care activities and diabetes outcomes, HCPs and patients remain hesitant to use them. However, the COVID-19 pandemic may hasten the integration of technology into diabetes care. The use of DSM apps may become a part of the new normal.

Understanding Design Approaches and Evaluation Methods in mHealth Apps Targeting Substance Use: Protocol for a Systematic Review.

BackgroundSubstance use and use disorders in the United States have had significant and devastating impacts on individuals and communities. This escalating substance use crisis calls for urgent and innovative solutions to effectively detect and provide interventions for individuals in times of need. Recent mobile health (mHealth)–based approaches offer promising new opportunities to address these issues through ubiquitous devices. However, the design rationales, theoretical frameworks, and mechanisms through which users’ perspectives and experiences guide the design and deployment of such systems have not been analyzed in any prior systematic reviews.ObjectiveIn this paper, we systematically review these approaches and apps for their feasibility, efficacy, and usability. Further, we evaluate whether human-centered research principles and techniques guide the design and development of these systems and examine how the current state-of-the-art systems apply to real-world contexts. In an effort to gauge the applicability of these systems, we also investigate whether these approaches consider the effects of stigma and privacy concerns related to collecting data on substance use. Lastly, we examine persistent challenges in the design and large-scale adoption of substance use intervention apps and draw inspiration from other domains of mHealth to suggest actionable reforms for the design and deployment of these apps.MethodsFour databases (PubMed, IEEE Xplore, JMIR, and ACM Digital Library) were searched over a 5-year period (2016-2021) for articles evaluating mHealth approaches for substance use (alcohol use, marijuana use, opioid use, tobacco use, and substance co-use). Articles that will be included describe an mHealth detection or intervention targeting substance use, provide outcomes data, and include a discussion of design techniques and user perspectives. Independent evaluation will be conducted by one author, followed by secondary reviewer(s) who will check and validate themes and data.ResultsThis is a protocol for a systematic review; therefore, results are not yet available. We are currently in the process of selecting the studies for inclusion in the final analysis.ConclusionsTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic review to assess real-world applicability, scalability, and use of human-centered design and evaluation techniques in mHealth approaches targeting substance use. This study is expected to identify gaps and opportunities in current approaches used to develop and assess mHealth technologies for substance use detection and intervention. Further, this review also aims to highlight various design processes and components that result in engaging, usable, and effective systems for substance use, informing and motivating the future development of such systems.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/35749

How Does AR Technology Adoption and Involvement Behavior Affect Overseas Residents’ Life Satisfaction?

This study aims to better understand foreign residents’ life satisfaction by exploring residents’ AR technology adoption behavior (a combination of transportation applications’ usefulness and ease of use) and travel involvement. Data were collected from 400 respondents randomly through a questionnaire-based survey. SPSS and AMOS were used to analyze and gather results. This study suggests overall life satisfaction as an operationalized dependent variable to measure a traveler’s sense of satisfaction, a traveler’s involvement, and AR adoption of necessary transportation apps is constructed as an independent variable. The model was proposed to explore the impacts of travel satisfaction on overall life satisfaction. The model focused on the role of traveling involvement when it is considered a first variable to explore the impact of travel satisfaction on the overall quality of life. Furthermore, AR technology adoption behavior is where people use traveling apps before and during traveling to fulfill travel needs, obtain details about locations, and make proper arrangements, as well as other facilities. Two significant roles of transportation apps and travelers’ involvement in travel-satisfaction development and overall life satisfaction were found; variables had a positive effect on travel satisfaction and life satisfaction. The results also revealed that AR mobile travel applications with traveler involvement could help improve individual overseas residents’ travel satisfaction; travel satisfaction provides more feelings of satisfaction with life in South Korea.

Lessons Learned in Piloting a Digital Personalized COVID-19 "Radar" on a University Campus.

Health authorities encouraged the use of digital contact tracing mobile applications (apps) during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the level of adoption was low because apps offered few direct benefits to counterbalance risks to personal privacy. Adoption of such apps could improve if they provided benefits to users. NOVID (COVID-19 Radar), a smartphone app, provided users with personalized data on social proximity of COVID-19 cases and exposed contacts. We analyzed uptake of NOVID at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) during the 2020-2021 academic year. Data included anonymous NOVID users who self-identified with Georgia Tech and their first- and second-degree network contacts. NOVID achieved 13%-30% adoption at Georgia Tech. Because of technical challenges, adoption waned after an initial peak. The largest increases in adoption (from 41 to 3704) followed administrative promotion of NOVID. Adoption increased modestly (from 2512 to 2661) after faculty- and student-led promotion, such as distribution of door hangers and a public seminar. Two-thirds of on-campus NOVID users were connected to a large network of other users, enabling them to receive data on social proximity of COVID-19 cases and exposed contacts. Network cohesion was observed to emerge rapidly when adoption rates passed just 10%, consistent with estimates from network theory. The key lesson learned in this case study is that top-down administrative promotion outperforms bottom-up grassroots promotion. Relatively high levels of adoption and network cohesion, despite technical challenges during the Georgia Tech pilot of NOVID, illustrate the promise of digital contact tracing when apps provide privacy and inherently beneficial personalized data to their users, especially in regions where Google Apple Exposure Notification is not available.

Effects of digital nudging on the adoption of APPs for value co-creation among online consumers

Effects of digital nudging on the adoption of APPs for value co-creation among online consumers

Adoption of Covid-19 contact tracing app by extending UTAUT theory: Perceived disease threat as moderator

ObjectivesContact tracing applications are technological solutions that can quickly trace and notify users of their potential exposure to the Covid-19 virus and help contain the spread of the disease. However, extant research delineating the various factors predicting the adoption of contact tracing apps is scant. The study's primary objective is to develop and validate a research model based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), health belief model (HBM), perceived privacy risk and perceived security risk to understand the adoption of contact tracing application. MethodsAn online survey was carried out among users of the ‘Aarogya Setu’ contact tracing app in India. The partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) tool was employed to analyze data from 307 respondents. ResultsThe results showed that performance expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions positively influenced users’ intention to adopt the app. In contrast, perceived privacy and security risks were significant barriers to app adoption. Perceived disease threat as a moderator mitigated the adverse impact of perceived privacy risk on users' intention to adopt contact tracing apps. ConclusionsThe current study gives insights on both drivers and barriers to the adoption of contract tracing applications. Various theoretical and practical implications of significance are provided for academicians and practitioners to effectively promote app adoption to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.

Age-related mobile digital divide in citizen science: the CSMON-LIFE experience

The amount of available Citizen Science data has increased significantly in the last two decades and has been used in several biogeographic studies as well. Citizen Science data are mostly collected through digital platforms, and especially mobile Apps. While the adoption of novel Information and Communications Technology (ICT) approaches potentially allow for a wider participation, recent studies have highlighted that the ability of making an intensive use of smartphones and mobile apps could decrease with users’ age. At the same time, data quality and commitment of volunteers in citizen science activities often increases with the age of volunteers. During the CSMON-LIFE (Citizen Science MONitoring) project volunteers provided their year of birth, thus allowing for inferences on the relation between age and data quality and retention rate. In this manuscript, a further investigation is carried out for understanding the potential effect of the digital gap that exists especially between young adults and old adults on participation to citizen science activities. In the case of CSMON-LIFE, older age classes are under-represented, if compared to the overall Italian population. While the difference cannot be with absolute certainty ascribed to one factor alone, it can be hypothesized that a relevant contribution to the limited participation of old adults could be due to the intensive adoption of mobile Apps. Furthermore, it seems that choice of mobile devices among volunteers is quite different from that made by the average population based on availability in the Italian market, possibly evidencing an overall higher education of citizen scientists. Therefore, it can be said that digital divide can have a negative effect on the participation of volunteers belonging to the older age classes, even if this effect will probably slowly disappear in the future. &nbsp

Public Service Delivery on Mobile Apps: Factors of Diversification and Coproduction

ABSTRACT Public mobile apps provide a new platform to facilitate communication between the government and citizens. Especially, citizens’ engagement in the delivery of public service expands the discussion of mobile apps to coproduction. However, it remains unclear what public services are provided on apps and coproduced, and what factors affect governments to enable coproduction. This paper examines how local governments diversify public services provided on the mobile apps, and tests factors that affect the diversification of public services and coproduction of public services on local governments’ mobile apps. The results suggest that a government’s institutional form and fiscal capacity affect mobile app adoption and usage of the app as a coproduction platform. Also, racial diversity and income of the community broaden the scope of public services provided on the app paving increased opportunities for citizens to perform coproduction activities of service requests and evaluation.

Mobile application adjunct to the WHO basic emergency care course: a mixed methods study

ObjectivesThe WHO developed a 5-day basic emergency care (BEC) course using the traditional lecture format. However, adult learning theory suggests that lecture-based courses alone may not promote long-term knowledge retention....