Person-Centered Clustering of mHealth Technology Perceptions and Usage Motivations, and Associations with Physical and Mental Health Correlates

Mobile health (mHealth) apps are increasingly being used to address mental and physical health concerns, and may be particularly beneficial for use among marginalized populations. The present study aimed to determine whether different mHealth technology perceptions and usage motivations differentially cluster within a distinct group of individuals, and whether classification within unique subgroups relates to physical and mental health correlates. Adults (N = 332) aged 18 years and older who were members of the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom completed an online survey assessing their mHealth technology perceptions and motivational characteristics, and health-related measures. Latent profile analysis examined whether distinct subgroups could be identified based on six empirically supported mHealth technology perceptions and usage motivations. Auxiliary analyses examined whether there were differences in the identified subgroups’ health-related concerns. The present analyses identified three unique subgroups of participants that differed based on the distinct patterning of their mHealth technology perceptions and motivational characteristics, such as how participants’ willingness to use mHealth technology for health-related changes clustered with their perceived abilities to successfully use these platforms and their perceived enjoyment of such use. These subgroups also exhibited nuanced patterns of association with different mental (but not physical) health correlates. The present findings provide important insight into the health-related symptom severity of individuals with distinct mHealth technology perceptions and motivational characteristics. These results may prove useful to consider in efforts aiming to improve the design of and increase engagement in mHealth interventions.