Mobile apps use for wellness and fitness and university students’ subjective wellbeing

Abstract

Subjective wellbeing among mobile application users attracted researchers’ interest in recent years due to its prevalent role in enhancing everyday life, particularly during the recent coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). While previous work has primarily focused on users’ intention to adopt mobile apps for wellness and fitness (MAWF) purposes, scarce attention has been paid to the post-adoption impact of these apps on users’ subjective wellbeing. This study empirically integrates ‘technology readiness’ and ‘technology acceptance’ models (TRAM) to predict subjective wellbeing among MAWF users. It also critically assesses the strength of the mediating effects on the link between technology readiness and subjective wellbeing. Data analysis of 694 actual users of MAWF by means of SEM-PLS approach proves the robust power of the TRAM model in predicting subjective wellbeing. In addition to their mediating effects, technology acceptance constructs tend to be more influenced by positive dimensions (i.e., optimism and innovativeness) than that of negative dimensions (i.e., insecurity and discomfort) of technology readiness. This study is one of the first attempts to predict subjective wellbeing among actual users of MAWF. The study also delineates a broad spectrum of implications that enrich existing research and better inform decision makers in mobile health field.