The impact of intrinsic motivation and social interaction on parents' engagement with mobile health apps in Taiwan

Health Informatics J. 2026 Jan-Mar;32(1):14604582261427924. doi: 10.1177/14604582261427924. Epub 2026 Feb 25.

Abstract

ObjectiveAlthough mobile health applications (mHealth apps) are widely used, few studies have explored their adoption from parents' perspectives for early disease detection in toddlers.MethodThis study employs the Uses and Gratifications (U&G) theory to identify key adoption factors. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted using AMOS SEM 26 and SPSS 22 for statistical analysis.ResultsA survey of 308 parents using mHealth apps revealed that intrinsic motivation does not moderate the relationship between information-seeking and satisfaction, whereas social interaction positively moderates this relationship. Parents with strong social interaction tendencies exhibit higher satisfaction in information-seeking.ConclusionThis study contributes to the literature on mHealth adoption, offering insights for developers and policymakers to enhance early detection initiatives and improve parental engagement with mHealth apps.

Keywords: information seeking; intrinsic motivation; mHealth; social interaction.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mobile Applications* / standards
  • Mobile Applications* / statistics & numerical data
  • Motivation*
  • Parents* / psychology
  • Social Interaction*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Taiwan
  • Telemedicine