Smartphone App Usage Research Articles

Getting some of that personality: There is an app for that!

AbstractWhen brands communicate with consumers via interactive medium such as smartphone apps, how do they influence consumers' self‐concepts? This study investigates the effect of branded smartphone app usage on consumer self‐perceptions of personality traits. Our approach relies on a longitudinal experimental design in which self‐perceptions of personality traits are measured at the beginning and at the end of a 4‐week period. During the study period, in the treatment condition consumers use a branded app while in the control condition they used an unbranded app. Brand engagement in the self‐concept and lay theory beliefs (incremental vs. entity) are the measured mediator and moderator, respectively. Branded smartphone app usage alone is enough to lead consumers to update their personality self‐perceptions in line with the personality of the brand. The brand's highly salient and desirable personality trait rubs‐off entity theorists' self‐perceptions by strengthening personality signaling to the self. However, the brand's low saliency and undesirable personality trait fades away from incremental theorists' self‐perceptions without serving as a personality signal to the self. The findings have direct implications for marketers attempting to use branded smartphone apps to influence self‐brand relationships. This paper extends knowledge of how branded apps influence consumers' self‐perceptions of personality. It differentiates the mechanisms through which these effects occur for consumers who have different lay beliefs (i.e., incremental vs. entity) as well as for brands' personality traits with varying levels of saliency and desirability.

Assessment of Data Usage of Cancer e-Interventions (ADUCI) Framework for Health App Use of Cancer Patients and Their Caregivers: Framework Development Study.

BackgroundMultimedia interventions can provide a cost-effective solution to public health needs; however, user engagement is low. Multimedia use within specific populations such as those affected by cancer differs from that of the general population. To our knowledge, there are no frameworks on how to accurately assess usage within this population to ensure that interventions are appropriate for the end users. Therefore, a framework was developed to improve the accuracy of determining data usage. Formative work included creating a data usage framework during target audience testing for smartphone app development and analysis in a pilot study.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to develop a framework for assessing smartphone app usage among people living with cancer and their caregivers.MethodsThe frequency and duration of use were compared based on manual data extraction from two previous studies and the newly developed Assessment of Data Usage of Cancer e-Interventions (ADUCI) Framework.ResultsManual extraction demonstrated that 279 logins occurred compared with 241 when the ADUCI Framework was applied. The frequency of use in each section of the app also decreased when the ADUCI Framework was used. The total duration of use was 91,256 seconds (25.3 hours) compared with 53,074 seconds (14.7 hours) when using the ADUCI Framework. The ADUCI Framework identified 38 logins with no navigation, and there were 15 discrepancies in the data where time on a specific page of the app exceeded the login time. Practice recommendations to improve user engagement and capturing usage data include tracking data use in external websites, having a login function on apps, creating a five-star page rating functionality, using the ADUCI Framework to thoroughly clean usage data, and validating the Framework between expected and observed use.ConclusionsApplying the ADUCI Framework may eliminate errors and allow for more accurate analysis of usage data in e-research projects. The Framework can also improve the process of capturing usage data by providing a guide for usage data analysis to facilitate evidence-based assessment of user engagement with apps.

The design and development of a hybrid off-job crafting intervention to enhance needs satisfaction, well-being and performance: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundEmployees dealing with job demands such as high workload and permeable work-life boundaries could benefit from bottom-up well-being strategies such as off-job crafting. We have developed a hybrid off-job crafting intervention to promote off-job crafting, a proactive pursuit to adjust one’s off-job time activities to satisfy one’s psychological needs. This hybrid intervention contains both on-site (two trainings) and online elements (smartphone app) to enhance employees’ well-being and performance within different life domains.MethodsThe study is designed as a randomized controlled trial with an intervention group and a waitlist control group. The study population will be Finnish knowledge workers. The intervention program focuses on six psychological needs (detachment, relaxation, autonomy, mastery, meaning, and affiliation) proposed by the DRAMMA model. The intervention will consist of the following components: 1) an on-site off-job crafting training, 2) an individual off-job crafting plan for the four-week intervention period, 3) Everydaily smartphone app usage, and 4) a training session for reflection. The study outcomes are assessed with online questionnaires once at baseline, weekly during the intervention period and twice after the intervention (two-week and six-week follow-up). Moreover, during the second training session, participants will participate in a process evaluation to shed light on the mechanisms that can affect the effectiveness of the intervention.DiscussionWe expect that the intervention will stimulate off-job crafting behaviors, which may in turn increase well-being and performance in both non-work and work domains during and after the intervention (compared to baseline and to the control group). The intervention may provide employees with additional resources to deal with various stressors in life. Furthermore, this off-job crafting intervention could also offer performance benefits for the employers such as increased organizational citizenship behaviors among employees.Trial registrationThe Netherlands Trial Register (NTR): NL8219, December 9, 2019. Registered retrospectively. https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/8219

Awareness of Mental Health Applications among Smartphone Users in India: A Population-based Survey

Background and Objectives: In the present era, modern technology has paved the way for multifunctional devices like smart phones and smart watches. There are around 4.3 million smart phone users in India. And with 2.5 million apps – available across Google and Apple’s digital marketplaces, smart phones are impacting day-to-day life in some surprising ways. The smart use of Smartphone increases your brain’s functioning helping to stay active. About 89% of the population in India say they are suffering from stress compared to the global average of 86. The purpose of this study is to find the awareness of mental health applications in Indian smart phone users so that it can be utilized for improving mental health. Methodology: A population based online survey was conducted wherein 303 responses were documented all across the country to determine the smartphone and health app usage. Subjects were asked to fill the online google form survey. A cross-sectional survey assessed smartphone and health app usage. Further, three focus group discussions evaluated the needs and apprehensions in using these apps. And the idea of using these applications as a platform for improving brain functions was also discussed. Results: A total of 303 Indians participated in this online survey. Out of which 50.8% population accepted that they are aware of most of the applications in their phones while 46.2% stated that they are aware of only few applications in their smartphones. Out of these only 30.2% are aware of mental health applications which shows that irrespective of knowing all the applications of their smartphones most of the population are not aware of mental health apps which suggest the need of awareness of mental health apps among smartphone users in India before launching various mental health applications. Conclusion: Without awareness among people designing mental health apps (MHApps) will be misleading, as the research results yielded despite the knowledge of almost all the Apps in smartphones the ratio of awareness of people for MHApps is very low which suggests the urgent need of awareness of MHApps among people for better delivery of mental health services in India.

Students’ Attitudes towards the Use of Smartphone for Language Learning Purposes

Utilization of smartphone technology and English language, emerging English language and smartphone technology in non-academic and academic activities for learning purposes, student’s perception towards the usage of smartphone apps for English learning purposes, and smartphone apps for enhancing English proficiency are the area where this study is focused, gained from Indonesian High School students. Two hundred participants from 10th-12th grader of private high schools in Surabaya - Indonesia participated by completing an anonymous questionnaire and 16 participants of each grade were randomly selected and interviewed to gain further understanding towards the findings. The findings indicated smartphone technologies are mostly used by the participants for communication and social media purposes. On the other hand, smartphone is also used incontrovertibly by participants for the certain educational purposes. In addition, learning English via smartphone mobile apps, and diverse types of teenager’s online activities were discovered, as well as area of their English skill improvement. The findings suggest that: the students are considerably enthusiastic for using apps to support learning and they also view that smartphones bring substantial potentials and should be optimized for learning through systematic and purposeful activities properly designed for school learning-related activities

Smartphone App as Motivational Intervention to Improve Glycemic Control in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) adolescents often do not achieve good glycemic control. In the context of growing number of technologically savvy adolescents, this study was done to examine the effectiveness of a motivational smartphone app to improve their glycemic control. Eleven to eighteen year old adolescents, treated by Pediatric endocrine team of CMC, Vellore, who had T1D ≥ 1 y duration with poor glycemic control (mean HbA1c ≥ 8.5% in preceding 12 mo) were recruited. An app programmed to provide 3 reminders per day regarding insulin, meals and physical exercise was installed on their phone. Diabetes management was continued as per the standard of care. HbA1C was measured after 3 mo. Thirty seven adolescents were recruited; 3 were excluded as the app became non-functional. Seventeen were boys, mean age was 13.8 y (11-18 y) and mean duration of diabetes was 4.9 y (0.8-16 y). The mean HbA1c levels over preceding 12 mo and at recruitment were 10.75% (1.88) and 10.6% (2.08) respectively. Twenty eight participants returned for repeat HbA1C after 3-4 mo. As compared to baseline there was significant reduction in HbA1c level: 10.6% (2.08) vs. 9.65% (1.6); p = 0.004. Twenty two of twenty eight participants showed reduction in HbA1c after app installation. The magnitude of change in HbA1c levels over a 3 mo period before and after the app use was analyzed. There was significant difference between mean HbA1c levels before and after app use; +0.28 (2.06) vs. -0.914 (1.52); p = 0.019. Following usage of smartphone app as a motivational intervention in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes, there was significant reduction in HbA1c level after 3 mo. With continued use, this may benefit them to achieve target HbA1c levels. Use of mobile phone apps as motivational interventions is feasible in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes in India.

Smartphone, Social Media, and Mental Health App Use in an Acute Transdiagnostic Psychiatric Sample.

BackgroundDespite high rates of smartphone ownership in psychiatric populations, there are very little data available characterizing smartphone use in individuals with mental illness. In particular, few studies have examined the interest and use of smartphones to support mental health.ObjectiveThis study aimed to (1) characterize general smartphone app and social media usage in an acute transdiagnostic psychiatric sample with high smartphone ownership, (2) characterize current engagement and interest in the use of smartphone apps to support mental health, and (3) test demographic and clinical predictors of smartphone use.MethodsThe survey was completed by all patients attending an adult partial hospital program, with no exclusion criteria. The primary outcomes were frequency of use of general and mental health smartphone apps (smartphone use survey) and the frequency of social media use and phone-checking behavior (mobile technology engagement scale).ResultsOverall, 322 patients (aged mean 33.49, SD 13.87 years; 57% female) reported that their most frequently used app functions were texting, email, and social media. Younger individuals reported more frequent use across most types of apps. Baseline depression and anxiety symptoms were not associated with the frequency of app use. Participants reported health care, calendar, and texting apps as most supportive of their mental health and social media apps as most negatively affecting their mental health. Most patients reported an interest in (73.9% [238/322]) and willingness to use (81.3% [262/322]) a smartphone app to monitor their mental health condition. Less than half (44%) of the patients currently had a mental health app downloaded on their smartphone, with mindfulness and meditation apps being the most common type.ConclusionsThe high interest in and willingness to use mental health apps, paired with the only moderate current reported usage, indicate a potential unmet treatment opportunity in psychiatric populations. There is potential to optimize non-mental health–specific apps to better support the needs of those with mental illness and to design a new wave of mental health apps that match the needs of these populations as well as the way they use smartphones in daily life.

Food Choices of Adolescents and Testing the Efficacy of Smart Phone Aided Nutrition Education Program (P21-062-19)

ObjectivesTo assess the nutritional status & lifestyle behaviors and see the response of nutrition education delivery by smartphone technology among school going adolescents. MethodsA cross-sectional analytical study design was conducted on total of 150 adolescents (aged 14–19 years) from private schools of Karachi (East) using multi-staged random sampling. Data was collected on adolescent’s socio-demographics, lifestyle behaviors, nutritional status and dietary behaviors. Based on the need for providing the health and nutrition literacy to our adolescent population through m-health, the smartphone app by the name of ‘Health and Nutrition Daily guidelines for Youth” ‘HANDY’ was developed for the project. Also, a brochure was designed which included the same information as the app, representing the conventional form of education. Participants were divided into two groups – Control group was provided information through brochures and the Intervention group was given brochures and Smartphone App. ResultsMajority of the students were from upper middle income group. Almost 30% adolescents were obese. Among lifestyle behaviors, 32% didn’t meet the criteria for 60 minutes of physical activity per day and excessive use of screen time (>2 hours a day) was 70% among adolescents. According to WHO recommendation only 36.6% were consuming vegetable intake, whereas fruit consumption was slightly better (50.3%). Snacking between meals was also found to be very common (32%) amongst adolescents. Different type of processed food including carbonated beverages and junk food consumption varied between 22–48%. After the baseline information, the intervention group was exposed to smartphone app and brochure versus brochure only and results showed that 76% of the participants in the intervention group liked the smart-phone application versus 34% who preferred brochure for healthier lifestyle. This shows a promising result of smartphone App usage in adolescents for inculcating healthy lifestyle habits. ConclusionsAs it was a pilot project, the potentiality of the app was found to be highly encouraging. Thus, longitudinal study with larger sample size, will be beneficial to test the efficacy of this app in producing a healthy behavior change. Funding SourcesThis project was funded by Scaling up Nutrition Academia and Research Pakistan, AusAid, and (ASK development).

Naturalistic data collection of head posture during smartphone use

Association between smartphone use and head-down tilt posture has not yet been quantitatively evaluated in natural settings. This study aimed to objectively assess the angle and duration of head-down tilt posture of smartphone users during a typical working day via naturalistic data collection. Thirty-one college students conducted their typical school activities while their head posture and smartphone-app usage records were collected simultaneously for 8 hours. Participants spent 125.9 minutes (median usage duration) on their smartphones with significantly larger head-down tilt (p < .05) than when they were not using the phone. Head tilt angle greater than 30° was found to be more common when using the phone, while head tilt less than 20° was more common when they were not using the phone. Study findings provide empirical evidence that supports an association between the duration of smartphone use and the intensity of head-down tilt posture.Practitioner Summary: Head postures of young smartphone users were quantified for 8 hours continuously during a typical workday using a wearable sensor. Participants spent more time in larger head-down tilt postures (greater than 30°) when they were using their smartphones as compared to when they were not using them.

Is India ready for mental health apps (MHApps)? A quantitative-qualitative exploration of caregivers' perspective on smartphone-based solutions for managing severe mental illnesses in low resource settings.

BackgroundMobile application based delivery of psycho-social interventions may help reduce the treatment gap for severe mental illnesses (SMIs) and decrease the burden on caregivers. Apps developed in high income settings show effectiveness, but they suffer from lack of applicability in low resource scenarios due to the difference in technology penetration, affordability, and acceptance.ObjectiveThis study aimed to understand health technology usage, perceived needs, and acceptability of app based interventions in patients with SMIs to improve illness management and reduce caregiver burden.MethodsThe study was conducted in inpatient and outpatient settings of a tertiary care center in North India. A cross-sectional survey assessed smartphone and health app usage. Further, three focus group discussions evaluated the needs and apprehensions in using apps in management of SMIs.ResultsA total of 176 participants including 88 patients and 88 caregivers completed the survey. Smartphone ownership was similar to the national average (30%) in both caregivers (38.6%) and in patients (31.8%). Although subjects regularly used a third party app, health app usage was very low. Cost, unfamiliarity, and language were significant barriers to adoption. The focus group discussions provided insight into the various apprehensions of caregivers in using and in allowing patients to use smartphones and such apps. Caregivers wanted mobile apps for accessing information regarding services and resources available for people with SMI, and they felt such apps can be helpful if they could automate some of their routine caregiving activities. However, the significant difficulty was perceived in regards to the cost of the device, language of the medium, and unfamiliarity in using technology. Apprehensions that SMI patients might misuse technology, or damage the device were also prevalent.ConclusionsThe study systematically looks into the scope, design considerations and limitations of implementing a mobile technology based intervention for low resource settings. With only one-third of the patients and caregivers having access to smartphones and internet, parallel outreach strategies like IVRS should be actively considered while designing interventions. The difficulty of understanding and searching in a non-native language needs to be addressed. Hand holding of caregivers and frequent encouragement from treating doctors might significantly help in technology adoption and in surmounting the apprehensions related to using technology. To make the solution acceptable and useful to the already over-burdened caregivers, developers need to work closely with patients’ family members and follow a ground-up collaborative approach to app development. The scope of delivering mental health services through technology is immense in resource constrained settings like India, provided we, researchers, appreciate and accept the fact that in the varied landscape of a divergent economic, educational, and cultural milieu, a single solution will never suffice for all, and intervention modality matching with end user capacity will be of paramount importance in determining the success of the endeavor.

What determines tourist adoption of smartphone apps?

游客接受手机APP的因素有哪些? 以延伸整合型科技接受模式(UTAUT2) 为框架的研讨摘要研究目的本研究旨在于鉴定游客安装旅游手机APP的影响因素。研究设计/方法/途径本论文采用问卷形式进行采样。在389人的样本中，本研究共获得343有效数据以用于数据分析。研究结果经本研究鉴定，影响游客安装手机旅游APP的因素包括：性能预期、社会影响力、节约成本、感知风险、使用习惯。其中，使用动机为影响因素（使用习惯除外）是作用于使用行为的中间变量。与原本研究预期相左，诸如享乐主义的动机、便利条件、以及努力期望等因素对使用动机和使用行为并没有显著作用。研究应用价值本研究结果对于APP开发商将如何达到游客期望有着至关重要的启迪。开发商往往会专注于APP的物理性能方面的开发，忽视了其他影响APP使用的因素作用。本论文其中一个重要的实际应用价值在于，虽然旅游业是享乐主义的活动，旅游APP的使用行为却大相径庭。研究原创性/价值本研究是少数几篇以新型经济体为背景，采用延伸整合型科技接受模式(UTAUT2)为理论框架，研究旅游APP使用情况的论文。

An Analytical Study of Smartphone Addiction among Engineering Students: A Gender Differences

With advent of new Smartphone technologies and the widespread utilization of touch screen mobile phones made humans embrace technology more and depend on it extensively and compulsively in their lives. Due to the new communication technologies and Smart phones the world is becoming a trajectory place where man is not relying on man for its needs but depending more on Smartphone apps which is replacing multivariate structure of human behavior where Smartphone Apps are transforming its functional role as a Guru, Mentor, Family physician, shopping consultant and so on. The present study is exploring the impact of Smartphone User Applications (Apps) on the behavior of the engineering students. This study examined Smartphone user behaviors and their relation to Smartphone addiction. A General Behavioral survey guided by a well structured self design questionnaire has been administered across a sample of hundred students. The questionnaire is comprised of Thirty items measuring amount, duration and pattern of usage of various Smartphone apps specifically health apps, entertainment apps, shopping apps, communication apps, and education apps. Overall test score measuring overall addiction to the Smartphone. A Sample is assigned using random sampling and purposive sampling method. Two groups are divided in fifty male and fifty female across the age ranges from 18- 22 years from various Engineering Colleges to measure gender differences. The test findings showing significant level of difference among the Smartphone addiction across the gender in accordance with usage of various Smartphone apps. The overall trend shows male students are more prone to Smartphone addiction than female.

Internet and smartphone application usage in eating disorders: A descriptive study in Singapore

IntroductionEating disorders are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The Internet is a popular medium for individuals with eating disorders to discuss and reinforce their affliction. However, the available literature on Internet usage and eating disorders is scarce, especially in the area of social media and smartphone application (“app”) usage.Objectives &amp; aimsTo look at the Internet and smartphone app usage patterns of participants who presented with an eating disorder in Singapore, and whether it corresponded to severity of illness.MethodsIndividuals who presented to the Eating Disorders clinic at the Singapore General Hospital from 13th June 2013 to 20th December 2013 completed a self-reported questionnaire on Internet and app usage. They also completed the EDE-Q, EAT-26 and CIA 3.0.ResultsFifty-five participants completed the study. A total of 41.8% had anorexia nervosa, 34.5% had bulimia nervosa, and 9.1% were ED-NOS. 41.8% felt that apps helped to perpetuate their illness, while 32.7% felt that apps were helpful for recovery. Overall, any smartphone application usage was associated with younger age and greater eating disorder psychopathology and psychosocial impairment. While 30.9% had encountered eating disorder-related content on Facebook, only 12.75 visited Facebook groups related to eating disorders. For YouTube, “Cooking and Food” and “Beauty and Fashion” videos were among the top 3 types of videos that participants watched.ConclusionsInternet and smartphone app usage is significant, and they are used to prolong or worsen eating disorder behavior in those with greater severity of illness. It is necessary to include interventions in this aspect as part of treatment.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Internet and smartphone application usage in eating disorders: A descriptive study in Singapore

Eating disorders are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The Internet is a popular medium for individuals with eating disorders to discuss and reinforce their affliction. However, the available literature on Internet usage and eating disorders is scarce, especially in the area of social media and smartphone application ("app") usage. This study looked at the Internet and smartphone app usage patterns of participants who presented with an eating disorder in Singapore, and whether it corresponded to severity of illness. Individuals who presented to the Eating Disorders clinic at the Singapore General Hospital completed a self-reported questionnaire on Internet and app usage. They also completed the EDE-Q, EAT-26 and CIA 3.0. 55 participants completed the study. 41.8% had anorexia nervosa, 34.5% had bulimia nervosa, and 9.1% were ED-NOS. 41.8% felt that apps helped to perpetuate their illness while 32.7% felt that the apps were helpful for recovery. Overall, any smartphone application usage was associated with younger age and greater eating disorder psychopathology and psychosocial impairment. While 30.9% had encountered eating disorder-related content on Facebook, only 12.7% visited Facebook groups related to eating disorders. For YouTube, "Cooking and Food" and "Beauty and Fashion" videos were among the top 3 types of videos that participants watched. In conclusion, Internet and smartphone app usage is significant, and they are associated with greater severity of illness. It is necessary to include interventions in this aspect as part of treatment of eating disorders.

E77 Smartphone App usage among EAU Delegates - A Survey

E77 Smartphone App usage among EAU Delegates - A Survey

E-souvenir appification: QoS web based media delivery for museum apps

The advent and recent proliferation of applications, created for smartphones and tablets, has altered the way users interact with information that is available online. Appification has been recently introduced to describe the rapidly widening shift from Web browsing to the usage of smartphone Apps for Internet-based information access and e-services consumption. In this paper, we present a solution that introduces e-souvenir (digital souvenir), extending the appification of e-shopping and shopping (non electronic) souvenirs while visiting cultural sights (e.g. museum, exhibitions etc). Instead of just buying a souvenir from a museum, the proposed smartphone App increases user involvement in order to personalize the App with his/her choices while sight-seeing and thus, such choices form an electronic souvenir: the e-souvenir. Additionally, our approach introduces intelligent Quality of Service (QoS) enabled features to the cultural smartphone App to improve user's experience, while using it at cultural sights and points of interest. We facilitate efficient QoS-based media delivery to the e-souvenir solution in order to make it efficient to operate under heavy network traffic load and best-effort Internet-based connections. This is especially important to handle bottlenecks that occur, when tourists gather the most popular exhibits within the exhibition rooms, and when they visit the museum in groups (e.g. schools, cruises etc). The proposed solution is a tool for better understanding and appreciation of the cultural exhibits while being on site, and it serves as an electronic souvenir in the post-visit experience. We show how QoS assurance techniques enable efficient media delivery through smartphones to assist making the old fashioned shopping souvenirs to go online and become virtual. The proposed QoS enabled smartphone solution serves as a high quality digital souvenir after museums' visits. This solution has already received warm feedback and encouraging comments by tourist and museum professionals.

Usage of Smartphone Apps by Women on their Maternal Life

Mobile phone usage has proliferated in recent years. Few places worldwide people are enjoying speedy utilization mobile phone. Women appear to be taking the lead when it comes to smart phone technology phone use when compared with men. Mobile phones apps make participation possible for women to access the health care they need, including family planning, birth, child care, and survival. This article begins to address the usage of smart phone apps and its role in the everyday life of the pregnant women and young mothers. The overall result of the study reveals that the women in the middle class and lower middle class families use smart phone and its applications more frequently during their pregnancy period for various reasons when comparing to the women in the upper middle class and higher income women.

Usage of Smartphone Apps by Women on Their Maternal Life

Mobile phone usage has proliferated in recent years. Few places worldwide people are enjoying speedy utilization mobile phone. Women appear to be taking the lead when it comes to smart phone technology phone use when compared with men. Mobile phones apps make participation possible for women to access the health care they need, including family planning, birth, child care, and survival. This article begins to address the usage of smart phone apps and its role in the everyday life of the pregnant women and young mothers. The overall result of the study reveals that the women in the middle class and lower middle class families use smart phone and its applications more frequently during their pregnancy period for various reasons when comparing to the women in the upper middle class and higher income women.

Smartphone Applications - Idea sourcing, and app development: Implications for firms

With the dramatic increase in smartphone usage and the consequent increase in applications (apps) for these smartphones, organisations are constantly looking for new apps to offer customers as well as employees. Information Systems (IS) departments of organisations have traditionally been tasked with the acquisition and/or development of such information technologies within organisations. This research aimed to determine from IS managers, the smartphone app usage in firms, the sources of app ideas and the locations for app development. It also investigated various aspects of the success or otherwise of the development process. Results indicate that while most ideas for apps currently come from IS and marketing departments within the organisation, and development of apps is also done mainly within the organisation , these development strategies are not necessarily the most effective. Managerial implications are discussed.

Proposing a model to test smartphone users' intention to use smart applications when ordering food in restaurants

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of smartphone apps as tools to promote healthy eating behaviors, especially when ordering food and drinks in restaurants. This paper also aims to develop a conceptual model based on literature to test users' intention to use smartphone apps as tools to promote healthy eating habits. Design/methodology/approach – The article is written based on a synthesis of previous research in this area. Findings – Smartphone apps are innovative channels for delivering individual health behavior changes. They offer a range of services that can improve the daily habits of their users. Smartphone apps allow users to keep up with their diets, exercise routines, and overall health. Based on an extensive review, this paper develops a conceptual model that includes the precursors of actual usage of smartphone apps that may assist in building healthy eating habits. Practical implications – Restaurants are advised to consider developing apps that includes nutritional facts about their menu items. These apps could be used for both consumer education and marketing efforts. The conceptual framework developed in this paper suggests that perceived enjoyment, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, self-efficacy and social norms are the antecedents of intention to use these apps. Originality/value – This is one of the first studies in the foodservice and nutrition fields that looks at the smartphone apps' impact on healthy eating. It offers practical implications for restaurateurs and smartphone app developers. In addition, this is one of the first papers that offers a model to test smartphone users' intention to use smartphone apps when ordering food and drinks in restaurants.