Despite the significant potential of mobile health (mHealth) applications in COVID-19 contact tracing, adoption rates remain low in many countries. To understand the reasons for this, a systemic review of mobile health studies conducted before December 2021 was analyzed, identifying facilitators and barriers linked to the adoption of mHealth apps for COVID-19 contact tracing.
The review, which included 27 articles from 16 countries, spanned from high-income nations such as France, Germany, and the United States, to low-middle-income countries like India. The key facilitators of mHealth adoption identified were perceived risks to COVID-19, trust, perceived benefit, social norms, and technological readiness. Conversely, the main barrier to mHealth adoption was data privacy and security concerns.
Sociodemographic Influences on Mobile Health App Adoption Worldwide
Interestingly, the study found that sociodemographic factors, including gender, education level, income, and age played a role in the adoption of mHealth apps, particularly in low-middle income countries. Females, individuals with lower education and income levels, and older individuals were less likely to adopt mHealth apps. However, these factors were not significantly associated with adoption in high-income countries.
The findings suggest that addressing data privacy and security issues while developing trust, perceived benefits, social norms, and technological preparedness could be effective strategies for increasing adoption intentions and app use among the general public. Moreover, addressing the digital divide is critical to the app’s adoption in low-middle-income countries.
Original Article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1222600
Original title: Facilitators and barriers to the adoption of mHealth apps for COVID-19 contact tracing: a systematic review of the literature

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