Factors Influencing Willingness to Use Fitness Apps During COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from China

During the novel coronavirus pandemic, many people stopped going to the gym, and lack of exercise is likely to cause physical and mental health problems such as decreased immunity, in turn making them vulnerable to infection. Fitness apps can help people exercise at home by providing online professional guidance and supervision. This study explored the factors influencing fitness the intention to use apps during the epidemic in China. A new variable named epidemic crisis risk perception was added to the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model to reflect the impact of the epidemic. Performance expectation has the greatest impact on the willingness to use fitness apps. Therefore, developers must pay close attention to the needs of the public and improve the functions of apps to improve their satisfaction. In addition, the risk perception of epidemic crisis positively correlates with the willingness to use such apps, indicating that the novel coronavirus pandemic indeed affected public psychology and behavioural intention.