Background: Smartphone fitness apps are considered promising tools for promoting physical activity and health. However, it is unclear which user-perceived factors and app features encourage users to download apps with the intention of being physically active. Objective: Building on the second version of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, this study aims to examine the association of the seven determinants of the second version of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology with the app usage intentions of the individuals and their behavioral intentions of being physically active as well as the moderating effects of different smartphone fitness app features (ie, education, motivation, and gamification related) and individual differences (ie, age, gender, and experience) on these intentions. Methods: Data from 839 US residents who reported having used at least one smartphone fitness app were collected via a web-based survey. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed, and path modeling was used to test the hypotheses and explore the influence of moderators on structural relationships. Results: The determinants explain 76% of the variance in the behavioral intention to use fitness apps. Habit (β=.42; P<.001), performance expectancy (β=.36; P<.001), facilitating conditions (β=.15; P<.001), price value (β=.13; P<.001), and effort expectancy (β=.09; P=.04) were positively related to behavioral intention to use fitness apps, whereas social influence and hedonic motivation were nonsignificant predictors. Behavioral intentions to use fitness apps were positively related to intentions of being physically active (β=.12; P<.001; R2=0.02). Education-related app features moderated the association between performance expectancy and habit and app usage intentions; motivation-related features moderated the association of performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, and habit with usage intentions; and gamification-related features moderated the association between hedonic motivation and usage intentions. Age moderated the association between effort expectancy and usage intentions, and gender moderated the association between performance expectancy and habit and usage intentions. User experience was a nonsignificant moderator. Follow-up tests were used to describe the nature of significant interaction effects. Conclusions: This study identifies the drivers of the use of fitness apps. Smartphone app features should be designed to increase the likelihood of app usage, and hence physical activity, by supporting users in achieving their goals and facilitating habit formation. Target group–specific preferences for education-, motivation-, and gamification-related app features, as well as age and gender differences, should be considered. Performance expectancy had a high predictive power for intended usage for male (vs female) users who appreciated motivation-related features. Thus, apps targeting these user groups should focus on goal achievement–related features (eg, goal setting and monitoring). Future research could examine the mechanisms of these moderation effects and their long-term influence on physical activity.

This is the abstract only. Read the full article on the JMIR site. JMIR is the leading open access journal for eHealth and healthcare in the Internet age.

中文翻译：

---

健身应用程序使用的决定因素以及教育、动机和游戏化相关应用程序功能对体育活动意图的调节影响：横断面调查研究


背景：智能手机健身应用程序被认为是促进身体活动和健康的有前途的工具。然而，尚不清楚哪些用户感知因素和应用程序功能鼓励用户下载应用程序以进行身体活动。目标：以技术接受和使用统一理论第二版为基础，本研究旨在检验技术接受和使用统一理论第二版的七个决定因素与用户的应用程序使用意图之间的关联。个人及其身体活动的行为意图，以及不同智能手机健身应用程序功能（即教育、动机和游戏化相关）的调节作用以及个体差异（即年龄、性别和经验）对这些意图的影响。方法：通过一项基于网络的调查收集了 839 名自称至少使用过一款智能手机健身应用程序的美国居民的数据。进行了验证性因素分析，并使用路径模型来检验假设并探索调节因素对结构关系的影响。结果：决定因素解释了使用健身应用程序的行为意图中 76% 的差异。习惯（β=.42；P<.001）、绩效预期（β=.36；P<.001）、便利条件（β=.15；P<.001）、价格价值（β=.13；P <.001) 和努力预期 (β=.09; P=.04) 与使用健身应用程序的行为意图正相关，而社会影响力和享乐动机是不显着的预测因素。使用健身应用程序的行为意图与身体活动的意图呈正相关（β=.12；P<.001；R2=0.02）。 与教育相关的应用程序功能调节了表现预期、习惯和应用程序使用意图之间的关联；与动机相关的特征调节了绩效预期、便利条件和习惯与使用意图的关联；与游戏化相关的特征调节了享乐动机和使用意图之间的关联。年龄调节了努力预期和使用意图之间的关联，性别调节了绩效预期与习惯和使用意图之间的关联。用户体验是一个不重要的调节因素。后续测试用于描述显着交互效应的性质。结论：本研究确定了使用健身应用程序的驱动因素。智能手机应用程序功能的设计应通过支持用户实现目标并促进习惯形成来增加应用程序使用的可能性，从而增加身体活动的可能性。应考虑目标群体对教育、动机和游戏化相关应用功能的特定偏好，以及年龄和性别差异。对于欣赏动机相关功能的男性（相对于女性）用户来说，性能预期对预期使用具有很高的预测能力。因此，针对这些用户组的应用程序应重点关注与目标实现相关的功能（例如，目标设置和监控）。未来的研究可以研究这些调节效应的机制及其对身体活动的长期影响。


这只是摘要。请阅读 JMIR 网站上的完整文章。 JMIR 是互联网时代电子健康和医疗保健领域领先的开放获取期刊。