The influence of fitness mobile apps on workout behavior intention among Chinese young adults.

Exercise was one of the most widely promoted methods to improve physical health while socially restricted. Despite the extensive notion of the advantages of sports activities, many young adults in China do not get the suggested amount of physical activity. Moreover, little is known about how one...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mengyu Li, Shujie Wang, Abdul Rahim Ahmed Soliman Darweesh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0320049
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849770020619419648
author Mengyu Li
Shujie Wang
Abdul Rahim Ahmed Soliman Darweesh
author_facet Mengyu Li
Shujie Wang
Abdul Rahim Ahmed Soliman Darweesh
author_sort Mengyu Li
collection DOAJ
description Exercise was one of the most widely promoted methods to improve physical health while socially restricted. Despite the extensive notion of the advantages of sports activities, many young adults in China do not get the suggested amount of physical activity. Moreover, little is known about how one's intentions regarding workout behavior are connected to one's beliefs about using fitness mobile apps. The present study put into effect an online survey with random respondents of 5686 adults to examine a model combining the theory of planned behavior and the health belief model to predict Chinese adults' attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control when using fitness apps to work out, and to investigate associations between users' beliefs and workout behavior intentions. The three main independent variables assessed were (1) attitude, (2) subjective norms, and (3) perceived behavioral control. Three components of belief were examined: self-efficiency, perceived barriers, and perceived benefits. The analyses found that attitudes and perceived behavioral control were positive and significant correlates of workout behavior intentions. The analysis also found that subjective norms were insignificantly associated with workout behavior intentions. Finally, the moderation test showed that belief moderated the assignations between the independent factors and workout behavior intentions. The findings suggest that the role of predictors within an integrated model using planned behavior theory and the health beliefs models provides a valid framework in the Chinese context of fitness app users. The research results have implications for the advancement and improvement of mobile phone apps that provide fitness functions, as well as for encouraging Chinese adults to promote the quantity and quality of their sport exercise.
format Article
id doaj-art-0c6a510e48394d778618d6d60feb2b6d
institution DOAJ
issn 1932-6203
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj-art-0c6a510e48394d778618d6d60feb2b6d2025-08-20T03:03:11ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01203e032004910.1371/journal.pone.0320049The influence of fitness mobile apps on workout behavior intention among Chinese young adults.Mengyu LiShujie WangAbdul Rahim Ahmed Soliman DarweeshExercise was one of the most widely promoted methods to improve physical health while socially restricted. Despite the extensive notion of the advantages of sports activities, many young adults in China do not get the suggested amount of physical activity. Moreover, little is known about how one's intentions regarding workout behavior are connected to one's beliefs about using fitness mobile apps. The present study put into effect an online survey with random respondents of 5686 adults to examine a model combining the theory of planned behavior and the health belief model to predict Chinese adults' attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control when using fitness apps to work out, and to investigate associations between users' beliefs and workout behavior intentions. The three main independent variables assessed were (1) attitude, (2) subjective norms, and (3) perceived behavioral control. Three components of belief were examined: self-efficiency, perceived barriers, and perceived benefits. The analyses found that attitudes and perceived behavioral control were positive and significant correlates of workout behavior intentions. The analysis also found that subjective norms were insignificantly associated with workout behavior intentions. Finally, the moderation test showed that belief moderated the assignations between the independent factors and workout behavior intentions. The findings suggest that the role of predictors within an integrated model using planned behavior theory and the health beliefs models provides a valid framework in the Chinese context of fitness app users. The research results have implications for the advancement and improvement of mobile phone apps that provide fitness functions, as well as for encouraging Chinese adults to promote the quantity and quality of their sport exercise.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0320049
spellingShingle Mengyu Li
Shujie Wang
Abdul Rahim Ahmed Soliman Darweesh
The influence of fitness mobile apps on workout behavior intention among Chinese young adults.
PLoS ONE
title The influence of fitness mobile apps on workout behavior intention among Chinese young adults.
title_full The influence of fitness mobile apps on workout behavior intention among Chinese young adults.
title_fullStr The influence of fitness mobile apps on workout behavior intention among Chinese young adults.
title_full_unstemmed The influence of fitness mobile apps on workout behavior intention among Chinese young adults.
title_short The influence of fitness mobile apps on workout behavior intention among Chinese young adults.
title_sort influence of fitness mobile apps on workout behavior intention among chinese young adults
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0320049
work_keys_str_mv AT mengyuli theinfluenceoffitnessmobileappsonworkoutbehaviorintentionamongchineseyoungadults
AT shujiewang theinfluenceoffitnessmobileappsonworkoutbehaviorintentionamongchineseyoungadults
AT abdulrahimahmedsolimandarweesh theinfluenceoffitnessmobileappsonworkoutbehaviorintentionamongchineseyoungadults
AT mengyuli influenceoffitnessmobileappsonworkoutbehaviorintentionamongchineseyoungadults
AT shujiewang influenceoffitnessmobileappsonworkoutbehaviorintentionamongchineseyoungadults
AT abdulrahimahmedsolimandarweesh influenceoffitnessmobileappsonworkoutbehaviorintentionamongchineseyoungadults