Assessing mHealth Motivational Pathways Among Hispanic Individuals Through Technological Affordances
Open Access
Author:
Agnihotri, Devanshi
Graduate Program:
Informatics
Degree:
Master of Science
Document Type:
Master Thesis
Date of Defense:
March 14, 2022
Committee Members:
Mary Beth Rosson, Program Head/Chair Saeed M Abdullah, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor Yunfeng Shi, Committee Member Xinning Gui, Committee Member
Keywords:
Technological affordances self determination theory motivational technology model
Abstract:
The Hispanic population in the United States is 23% more likely than non-Hispanic whites to be obese. Furthermore, only 14.4% of the Hispanic population meet both aerobic- activity and muscle-strengthening guidelines. Common barriers to exercise cited by the Hispanic population include lack of self-discipline, social support, as well as time and economical constraints. Several studies show that mHealth fitness applications can help address these barriers and can benefit general wellness. However, current mHealth studies have been mostly conducted with a predominantly white population. As a result, there is a serious knowledge gap when it comes to support adoption of and long-term engagement with mHealth applications to increase and sustain physical activity in the Hispanic population.
This study is a survey assessing the relationships between technological affordances, need satisfaction, and motivation for Hispanic individuals using mFitness apps and assess factors surrounding motivation and sustained physical activity among Hispanic adults living a sedentary lifestyle. This assessment serves as a foundation for knowledge to develop an mHealth application that will provide data-driven, context-specific, and personalized recommendations to increase physical activity for Hispanic adults.
