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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Crystal L. Jiang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Media and Communication, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
Interests: health and technology; computer-mediated communication; health persuasion

Dr. Shuo Zhou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Communication Studies, School of Communication, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
Interests: health communication; mHealth; narrative persuasion; virtual reality; information processing

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

Mobile technologies have been well-recognized for their potential to enhance individual health and improve health systems. The functions of the rapidly developing mobile technologies have evolved from simple calling and texting to incorporating geofencing, motion sensors, fitness monitoring, biometrics, augmented/virtual reality, etc. These technologies bring new insights into all the areas of health communication. This Special Issue thus aims to understand how the various mobile technologies are applied in health communication and their impacts on health care, health outcomes, and health equity.

We welcome submissions on a wide variety of theoretical and/or empirical contributions to the field of mobile technology-based health communication. Papers could address, but are not limited to, the following themes:

- Technology-based health persuasion

- Audience segmentation

- Technology-based message design and tailoring

- Using mobile technologies for health advocacy and education

- Enhancement of digital and health literacy

- Engagements with agents and stakeholders

- Patient–provider dialogues supported by mobile technologies

- Using mobile technologies to facilitate medication and treatment adherence

- Ethical and social considerations of using mobile technologies in health communication

- Mobile technology and health disparities

- Mobile health technology for diverse populations

Papers addressing the above themes and other topics related to the uses of mobile technologies in health communication are invited for this Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Dr. Crystal L. Jiang
Dr. Shuo Zhou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

mHealth
mobile health
mobile technologies
health communication
smartphones
health intervention
health behaviors

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 787 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Uncovering the Heterogeneity in Fitness App Use: A Latent Class Analysis of Chinese Users

by Li Crystal Jiang, Mengru Sun and Guanxiong Huang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10679; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710679 - 27 Aug 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1905

Abstract

This study examines fitness app use patterns and their correlates among Chinese users from the perspectives of uses and gratification theory and self-determination theory. Our sample comprised 632 users of WeRun, the fitness plugin of WeChat, the largest Chinese mobile social networking app; participants completed an online survey and provided self-tracked physical activity data, which were subjected to latent class analysis. Based on the four-class latent class model (which yielded the best model fit and the most interpretable results), 30.5%, 27.5%, 24.7%, and 17.3% of the users were categorized as light users, reward-oriented users, lifestyle-oriented users, and interaction-oriented users, respectively. Moreover, class membership was associated with gender, age, education, income, life satisfaction, autonomy, and platform-based motivations. There is a significant heterogeneity in fitness app use and exercise behaviors. Platform-based motivations and autonomy are important classification factors, as users are looking for specific kinds of gratification from their use of fitness apps. Demographics and individual characteristics are also explanatory factors for class membership. The study findings suggest that fitness app designers should segment users based on motivation and gratification. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Use of Mobile Technologies in Health Communication)

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Other

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33 pages, 2218 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

The Use of Mobile Health Interventions for Outcomes among Middle-Aged and Elderly Patients with Prediabetes: A Systematic Review

by Yaltafit Abror Jeem, Russy Novita Andriani, Refa Nabila, Dwi Ditha Emelia, Lutfan Lazuardi and Hari Koesnanto

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13638; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013638 - 20 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2080

Abstract

Background: There are currently limited systematic reviews of mobile health interventions for middle-aged and elderly patients with prediabetes from trial studies. This review aimed to gather and analyze information from experimental studies investigating the efficacy of mobile health usability for outcomes among middle-aged and elderly patients with prediabetes. Methods: We conducted a literature search in five databases: Clinicaltrials.gov, the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), PubMed, ProQuest, and EBSCO, with a date range of January 2007 to July 2022 written in English, following a registered protocol on PROSPERO (CRD42022354351). The quality and possibility of bias were assessed using the Jadad score. The data extraction and analysis were conducted in a methodical manner. Results: A total of 25 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis, with 19 studies using randomized trial designs and 6 studies with non-randomized designs. The study outcomes were the incidence of diabetes mellitus, anthropometric measures, laboratory examinations, measures of physical activity, and dietary behavior. During long-term follow-up, there was no significant difference between mobile health interventions and controls in reducing the incidence of type 2 diabetes. The findings of the studies for weight change, ≥3% and ≥5% weight loss, body mass index, and waist circumference changes were inconsistent. The efficacy of mobile health as an intervention for physical activity and dietary changes was lacking in conclusion. Most studies found that mobile health lacks sufficient evidence to change hbA1c. According to most of these studies, there was no significant difference in blood lipid level reduction. Conclusions: The use of mobile health was not sufficiently proven to be effective for middle-aged and elderly patients with prediabetes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Use of Mobile Technologies in Health Communication)

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