University thesis:
Dissertation, Bamberg, Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg, 2019
Footnote:
In: kumulative Dissertation
Description:
This dissertation examines the use of consumer health IT to support healthy behavior and well-being. Based on the current state of knowledge, this dissertation identifies three constituent components of consumer health IT use: 1) motivation in terms of the user's health-related needs and goals, 2) ability with regards to IT-related and health-related ability such as IT self-efficacy or health knowledge respectively, and 3) opportunity in terms of the functions and features of the IT that potentially support health and well-being. Results of empirical research on the use of consumer health IT in the context of an aging society and fitness tracking technologies show the strong interplay of these three components. On the one hand, the specific motivations of the users direct the realization of specific opportunities provided by the IT, which in turn have specific impacts on healthy behavior and well-being. On the other hand, a closer fit between the specific motivation and the specific, realized opportunity contributes to a higher effectiveness. IT- and health-related abilities facilitate the realization of the opportunities of the IT and help to cope with unintended, adverse effects. Overall, this dissertation extends the theoretical knowledge of consumer health IT with additional insights for the aging society and fitness tracking technologies that offer practical assistance in designing consumer health IT.