The Association of Mobile Health Applications with Self-Management Behaviors among Adults with Chronic Conditions in the United States

Background: Mobile applications related to health and wellness (mHealth apps) are widely used to self-manage chronic conditions. However, research on whether mHealth apps facilitate self-management behaviors of individuals with chronic conditions is sparse. We aimed to evaluate the association of mHealth apps with different types of self-management behaviors among patients with chronic diseases in the United States. Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study. We used data from adult participants (unweighted n = 2340) of the Health Information National Trends Survey in 2018 and 2019. We identified three self-management behaviors: (1) resource utilization using electronic personal health records; (2) treatment discussions with healthcare providers; and (3) making healthcare decisions. We analyzed the association of mHealth apps to self-management behaviors with multivariable logistic and ordinal regressions. Results: Overall, 59.8% of adults (unweighted number = 1327) used mHealth apps. Adults using mHealth apps were more likely to use personal health records (AOR = 3.11, 95% CI 2.26-4.28), contact healthcare providers using technology (AOR = 2.70, 95% CI 1.93-3.78), and make decisions on chronic disease management (AOR = 2.59, 95% CI 1.93-3.49). The mHealth apps were associated with higher levels of self-management involvement (AOR = 3.53, 95% CI 2.63-4.72). Conclusion: Among individuals with chronic conditions, having mHealth apps was associated with positive self-management behaviors.