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. 2017 Dec 19;5(12):e197. doi: 10.2196/mhealth.7832

Table 2.

Responses to health app use, frequency, and perceived efficacy by chronic condition (N=1604).

Variable No condition Hypertension Obesity Diabetes Depression High cholesterol P value

n (%) n (%) n (%) n (%) n (%) n (%)
Number of health apps





<.001

1-5 apps 314 (38.9) 24 (6.6) 34 (17.2) 16 (9.8) 69 (25.8) 88 (27.6)

6-10 apps 55(6.8) 2(0.5) 12 (6.1) 2 (1.0) 15 (5.6) 18 (5.6)

11-15 apps 52 (6.4) 2 (0.5) 1 (0.5) 2 (1.2) 6 (2.2) 4 (1.3)

16-20 apps 77 (9.5) 4 (1.1) 1 (0.5) 2 (1.2) 4 (1.5) 5 (1.6)
Frequency of health app use
                   
 .001

Less than once a month 32 (4.0) 0 (0.0) 3 (1.5) 0 (0.0) 15 (5.6) 9 (2.8)

A few times a month 34 (4.2) 6 (1.60) 4 (2.0) 0 (0.0) 8 (3.0) 16 (5.0)

A few times each week 119 (14.70) 7 (1.9) 10 (5.1) 5 (3.1) 21 (7.9) 33 (10.3)

About 1 time each day 211 (26.1) 10 (2.7) 11 (5.6) 5 (3.1) 28 (10.5) 34 (10.7)

2 or more times a day 172 (21.3) 10 (2.7) 26 (13.1) 20 (12.3) 32 (12.0) 53 (16.6)
Duration of health app use
                   
 .17

1-10 min 312 (38.7) 78 (21.4) 52 (26.3) 33 (20.2) 77 (28.8) 66 (20.7)

11-30 min 339 (42.0) 50 (13.7) 47 (23.7) 32 (19.6) 48 (18.0) 55 (17.2)

More than 30 min 72 (8.9) 27 (7.4) 20 (10.1) 20 (12.3) 25 (9.4) 24 (7.5)
Perceived efficacy of health apps
                   
 .13

Made my health worse 20 (2.5) 2 (0.5) 2 (1.0) 2 (1.2) 1 (0.4) 3 (0.9)

Did not help at all 51 (6.3) 15 (4.1) 15 (7.6) 14 (8.6) 9 (3.4) 6 (1.9)

Just a little improved 164 (20.3) 47 (12.9) 43 (21.7) 43 (26.4) 25 (9.4) 21 (6.6)

Somewhat 237 (29.4) 47 (12.9) 38 (19.2) 45 (27.6) 43 (16.1) 24 (7.5)

Very much improved 215 (26.6) 44(12.1) 47 (23.7) 46 (28.2) 41 (15.4) 31 (9.7)
Reason for health app download
                   
 

Track activity or exercise I get 370 (45.8) 97 (26.6) 77 (38.9) 53 (32.5) 82 (30.7) 92 (28.8) .06

Help me watch/improve what I eat 335 (41.5) 85 (23.4) 76 (38.4) 52 (31.9) 90 (33.7) 72 (22.6) .00

Weight loss 333 (41.3) 77 (21.2) 80 (40.4) 49 (30.1) 86 (32.2) 66 (20.7) .01

Track a health measure 189 (23.4) 60 (16.5) 38 (19.2) 42 (25.8) 50 (18.7) 54 (16.9) .04

Help me relax 143 (17.7) 3 (0.8) 8 (4.0) 6 (3.7) 17 (6.4) 33 (10.3) .01