Developing and marketing mobile health applications for low-income working adults in Hong Kong

Purpose: Despite the potential of mobile health applications in reducing barriers to accessing health information and facilities, the adoption and usage of such applications were low among low-income populations. This study attempts to examine the use of mobile technology for health management and the perceived barriers of the use of mobile applications for health management among low-income working adults in Hong Kong.
Design/methodology/approach: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 working adults aged 25–45 from low-income families. The interviewees were asked about their perceptions of their health, their perceptions about and use of mobile health applications, and they were asked to describe their ideal mobile health management app.
Findings: Interviewees often suffer from physical pain and many face relationship difficulties. They seek out health information actively on the internet, often using a mobile phone. However, their use of wearables and health mobile applications is limited. The perceived barriers of using mobile health applications included perceived difficulties in downloading and registering, privacy concerns, and a lack of awareness of the health apps available. They prefer internet searching to a dedicated app. Their ideal health applications should be video based with real-life narratives. They were concerned about the credibility of the health information provided and preferred apps that engage professional and authoritative sources.
Limitation: The study was based on a convenience sample recruited through a non-profit organization. It has the limitation of generalizing the results for the target population. Future studies can use survey methodology to test a theoretical model linking perceived barriers and intention to use mobile health technology. Studies using experimental design can investigate perceived ease of use and perceived benefits of different mobile health app designs.
Originality: There is a lack of studies that explore perceived barriers of adoption of mobile health technology in developed societies. This is the one of the first qualitative studies conducted in Hong Kong among low-income working adults about their health conditions and usage of mobile health technology.
Marketing implications: These findings can inform the government’s health department and health organizations in designing appropriate mobile health applications that target those with limited financial and time resources.