Smartphone Alcohol Use Disorder Recovery Apps: Cross-sectional Survey of Behavioral Intention to Use

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Behavioral Science
• Addiction Medicine

Background:

• Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) presents significant societal costs.
• While effective interventions exist, adoption challenges persist, exacerbated by pandemic contexts.
• Alcohol Use Disorder Recovery Apps (AUDRA) offer accessible, promising digital complements to traditional interventions but remain underutilized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the beliefs influencing the intention to use Alcohol Use Disorder Recovery Apps (AUDRA).
• To apply the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to understand AUDRA adoption factors.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was conducted with individuals experiencing AUD.
• Participants were recruited from addiction treatment facilities and online AUD recovery support groups.
• The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology framework was employed to assess determinants of behavioral intention and use.

Main Results:

• Awareness of AUDRA was high (85.5%), correlating with higher scores in performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence.
• Effort expectancy and social influence were significant predictors of behavioral intention to use AUDRA.
• Privacy concerns emerged as a potential barrier to AUDRA use, and facilitating conditions were moderated by age.

Conclusions:

• Unlike many technologies, AUDRA adoption is primarily influenced by perceived ease of use (effort expectancy) and social factors (social influence), rather than solely by performance benefits.
• Effort expectancy and social influence are critical determinants for the intention to use AUDRA.
• Addressing privacy concerns and tailoring approaches for different age groups may enhance AUDRA adoption.