What Shapes Health App Use and Its Outcomes in Emerging Adults? The Cognitive Appraisals and Motivational Orientation...

Mobile health (m-health) applications, including fitness and wellness apps, have become increasingly integrated into daily life, with emerging adults (ages 18-34) representing the largest user group. While prior research has sought to identify the factors shaping decisions to adopt and use these apps, this work provided limited insight into the reflexive, situationally variable nature of users' decision-making. Moreover, the impact of health apps on users' physical and psychological well-being remains ambiguous. Research indicates that while they may encourage healthy behaviors, they can also lead to problematic engagement through excessive reliance on self-tracking metrics, suggesting that important psychological mechanisms may be at play. To address these gaps, we conducted go-along interviews with emerging adults (n = 20, aged 21-31, 55% female) and propose the cognitive appraisals and motivational orientation (CAMO) model combining the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2) and self-determination theory (SDT). This model elucidates how cognitive appraisals of technological features and motivational orientations may interact to shape health app adoption, continued use, and health outcomes. By bridging technology acceptance and psychological motivation, the CAMO-model offers a foundation for future research and practical guidance in stimulating mindful health app use.