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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Digit. Health
Sec. Human Factors and Digital Health
Volume 7 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fdgth.2025.1455261
This article is part of the Research Topic Theory-Based E-Mental Health Interventions for Improving the Mental and Physical Health of People with Diabetes View all 3 articles
Technology use and health behavior among patients with diabetes: do underlying motives for technology adoption matter?
Provisionally accepted- 1 University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- 2 Institute of Psychology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- 3 Institute of Psychology, Eszterhazy Karoly Catholic University, Eger, Hungary
- 4 Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Miskolc, Miskolc, Hungary
A growing number of health technology solutions are designed for people with diabetes to ease disease self-management. However, according to some studies, technology can also bring dissatisfaction. According to the Motivation, Engagement, and Thriving in User Experience (METUX) model, the use of technology is only beneficial if it is linked to the experience of autonomy. The study aimed to investigate the associations of health technology use and technology adoption motivation and associated health behavior of people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. A cross-sectional questionnaire study was run on a sample of 315 patients with diabetes. The Technology Adoption Propensity Questionnaire was applied for assessing general attitudes toward technology, the Autonomy and Competence in Technology Adoption Questionnaire for underlying motives of technology use, and the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities for health behavior. Results showed that technology use was predicted by proficiency (but not optimism) and lower levels of vulnerability and dependence. Additionally, technology use predicted health behavior (diet and physical exercise) frequency. Refining the results further, among technology users only autonomous motivation of technology use predicted health behavior, while controlled motivation had a slightly negative predictive effect on following the diet. Particular attention should be paid to the person-based health-related technology interventions for enhancing proficiency and both reducing feelings of vulnerability and dependence on technologies. Ultimately, it is not the adoption of a technology per se, but the autonomous motivation for adoption that is associated with more favorable health behavior.
Keywords: Patients with diabetes, health technology, self-determination theory, METUX model, Technology Adoption
Received: 26 Jun 2024; Accepted: 17 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Sára, Horvát, Csordás, Lakatos and Martos. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Csuka Imola Sára, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
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