AUTHOR=Amer Samar A. , Bahumayim Ayah , Shah Jaffer , Aleisa Nouf , Hani Basma M. , Omar Doaa I. 

TITLE=Prevalence and Determinants of Mobile Health Applications Usage: A National Descriptive Study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.838509

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.838509

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=We aimed to determine the prevalence of MHAs’ usage and explore the context and determinants of using MHAs among inhabitants in Saudi Arabia (SA). This cross-sectional study randomly selected 679 adult inhabitants from the 20 health regions in SA through an electronic, self-administered, well-structured, validated, Arabic questionnaire. The prevalence of using MHAs was 47.9%, and it was significantly higher among younger, Saudi, highly educated, and working participants, as well as those with chronic diseases (p<0.05). The main motives of using MHAs were to promote the health status (in 68.6%) and to lose weight (in (33.2%). The most used apps were related to daily steps-counting (54.2%), and among females was tracking ovulation period apps (43.5%). The most common reported advantage of using MHAs was saving time (64%). Despite the potential benefits of MHAs, they were used only in nearly half of the studied participants in SA. The most effective MHAs in improving health status were exercise, calorie-related, water uptake, and daily steps-counting apps. Policymakers globally looking to address reform aimed at improving health with mobile apps will find our study to be interesting.
mobile apps will find this study of interest.