Patterns and Characteristics of Mobile App Use to Promote Wellness and Manage Illness: Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND Mobile health (mHealth) apps target diverse health behaviors, but engagement may vary by purpose. OBJECTIVE This study examined the prevalence, usage patterns, and user characteristics of mHealth apps among Czech adults with internet access, focusing on sociodemographics, digital knowledge and use, and health indicators predicting wellness- and illness-related app use. METHODS Overall, 4775 Czech adults (2365/4775, 49.53% women) aged 18-95 (mean 45.37, SD 16.40) years completed an online survey. Sociodemographic factors included age, gender, education, and income. Digital knowledge and use were measured using the eHealth Literacy Scale and the passive/active use of social networking sites (SNS) for health information. Health indicators covered symptom severity, physical activity, BMI, and eating disorder–related risk propensity (body dissatisfaction, dietary restraint, and weight/shape overvaluation). Participants reported app use for sports, number of steps, nutrition, vitals, sleep, diagnosed conditions, reproductive health, diagnosis assistance, mood and mental well-being, and emergency care guidance. Multivariate hierarchical binary logistic regression analysis identified characteristics of app users. Exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) clustered apps into “promoting wellness” and “managing illness” and examined the predictors of frequency of use. RESULTS Of 4440 respondents, 2172 (48.92%) used mHealth apps. Users were younger (odds ratio [OR] 0.98, 95% CI 0.98-0.99, P