Investigation of the Influential Factors in Leading People to Seek Mobile Information for the Promotion of Health-Related Behaviors

Abstract

This study explored the cognitive structures that influence mobile information seekers’ intentions of promoting health behaviors. Using a nationwide self-reported survey (n = 1010) conducted by a national research institute in Korea, the present study conducted multiple regression analyses and moderated mediation tests for its analysis. The results showed that two of the three social cognitive components—i.e., health information orientation (HIO) and e-health literacy (EHL)—had a positive effect on users’ mobile health information seeking behaviors (MHIS), whereas informational social support (ISS) did not. Furthermore, the effects of the social cognition factors varied based on the type of health-promoting behaviors, and the types of health-related behavior predicted by the three factors also differed. Moreover, HIO was a factor that affected only nutritional intake among all of the health promotion behaviors, while ISS was a critical factor that predicted most health-related behaviors, except for the participants’ regular exercise (REX). The findings also indicated that the respondents’ levels of health efficacy and the extent of their health-related information seeking on mobile devices partially mediated the associations between the independent variables and their health-related behavioral outcomes. Among the mediated moderation effects of the three factors in social cognition theory (SCT), only the mediated effects of EHL were found to be significant. Based on these findings, the present study highlighted that the predictors of health-promoting behaviors may vary according to the features of the information seekers. The further implications of the study are also discussed.