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ERIC Number: EJ990663
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1529-1944
EISSN: N/A
Mhealth on Campus: Assessing Undergraduates' Attitudes and Utilization of Mobile Health Applications
Haithcox-Dennis, Melissa; Brinkley, Jason; Richman, Alice; DeWeese, Amanda; Byrd, James L., III
International Electronic Journal of Health Education, v15 p134-144 2012
Mhealth is rapidly becoming a valuable tool to increase knowledge and skills that contribute to healthy behaviors. Currently, little is known about college students' ownership and use of health apps. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate undergraduates' mhealth app usage and views. A secondary purpose was to identify any subgroup differences in mobile app use to determine who is more likely to use health apps. After surveying 1,487 students, results indicated most students own a smartphone (65.8%) or a smart device (65.4%); however, only 17% reported owning a health app. A chi-square goodness of fit test was found to be significant (p=0.0214) for race with 21% of non-whites owning health apps compared to 16% of white, non-Hispanics. Additionally, it was found that students possessing apps related to their location (weather, news...) were more likely to be interested in a health app that incorporated local and campus resources. These findings are of particular relevance as college campuses seek to increase health outcomes of their students in general and as a means to increase retention. Developing mobile health apps incorporating campus resources, a social element, and local incentives may be an effective way to improve the health of college students. (Contains 5 tables.)
American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. 1900 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191. Tel: 800-213-7193; Fax: 703-476-9527; e-mail: info@aahperd.org; Web site: http://www.aahperd.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A