Dataset Information

WeChat-based mHealth intention and preferences among people living with schizophrenia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The past few decades have seen a rapid expansion of mHealth programs among people with serious mental illness, yet mHealth for schizophrenia is in a much earlier stage of development. This study examined the intention of WeChat-based mHealth programs among people living with schizophrenia (PLS) and evaluated correlates of the intention.

Methods

A total of 400 PLS aged 18-77 completed a cross-sectional survey by face-to-face interviews. The survey included a general question asking about participants' willingness to attend WeChat-based mHealth programs, followed by preferences of three specific WeChat-based programs: psychoeducation, peer support, and professional support. PLS symptoms, functioning and disability were measured using the 18-item Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS-18), the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), and the 12-item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0), respectively. A multivariate logistic regression was used to determine correlates of program participation intention.

Results

Over forty percent (43%, n = 172) of participants were willing to participate in WeChat-based mHealth programs, among whom preferences for each specific program were shown in descending order: psychoeducation (68.60%), professional support (60.47%), and peer support (52.33%). A multivariate analysis revealed that younger age (OR: 0.13-0.20, 95% CI [0.05-0.43]), higher education (OR: 3.48-6.84, 95% CI [1.69-18.21]), and lower disability (OR: 0.97, 95% CI [0.94-0.99]) were all independently associated with WeChat-based mHealth program participation intention.

Conclusion

The findings provide guidance for further development of WeChat-based mHealth programs among PLS in China, and targeted at those who are younger, well-educated and with lower disability.

SUBMITTER: Xiao S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7749651 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

WeChat-based mHealth intention and preferences among people living with schizophrenia.

Xiao Shuiyuan S Li Tongxin T Zhou Wei W Shen Minxue M Yu Yu Y

PeerJ 20201216

<h4>Background</h4>The past few decades have seen a rapid expansion of mHealth programs among people with serious mental illness, yet mHealth for schizophrenia is in a much earlier stage of development. This study examined the intention of WeChat-based mHealth programs among people living with schizophrenia (PLS) and evaluated correlates of the intention.<h4>Methods</h4>A total of 400 PLS aged 18-77 completed a cross-sectional survey by face-to-face interviews. The survey included a general ques ...[more]

PMID: 33362979

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Project description:BackgroundCaregiving responsibility can change caregivers' lives; modify their emotions; and make them feel frustrated, fearful, and nervous, thereby imposing physical and mental stress. Caregiving-related mobile apps provide a platform for obtaining valuable and trusted information, connecting more easily with other caregivers, monitoring medications, and managing appointments, and assessing health requirements and conditions of care receivers. Such apps also incorporate valuable resources that address care for the caregivers. Despite the potential benefits of caregiving-related apps, only a limited number of caregivers have adopted and used them.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to explore the important factors that affect caregivers' intentions to integrate related mobile apps into their routine caregiving responsibilities.MethodsUsing the protection motivation theory, we conducted a cross-sectional study among 249 participants. Purposive sampling was used to target participants who met 4 inclusion criteria: US residents, owning and using a smartphone, informal caregivers (individuals who give care to a friend or family member without payment) who provided at least 8 hours of care per week in the past year, and those currently not using any mobile app for caregiving purposes. We created a survey using Qualtrics and posted it on Amazon's Mechanical Turk website. Participants received monetary compensation after successful completion of the survey.ResultsWe found that capabilities and skills of caregivers to use mobile apps, the app's effectiveness in responding to the needs of caregivers, the degree of control of caregivers over their responsibilities, and the decisions they make for their care receivers can predict their willingness to adopt caregiving-related apps. In addition, the severity of health status and vulnerability of care receivers to unexpected health changes indirectly shape their caregivers' decisions to adopt and use mobile apps for caregiving purposes.ConclusionsThis study explores the important factors that affect informal caregivers' intentions to adopt related mobile apps into their routine caregiving responsibilities. The results contribute to both mobile health adoption and the caregiving literature, and they offer significant implications for developers, health care practitioners, and policy makers.

Dataset Information

WeChat-based mHealth intention and preferences among people living with schizophrenia.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

WeChat-based mHealth intention and preferences among people living with schizophrenia.

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