Central or peripheral? Cognition elaboration cues' effect on users' continuance intention of mobile health applications in the developing markets.

PURPOSE: Cognition elaboration cues play critical roles in the innovation diffusion process of Internet innovative products. This paper aims to theorize and examine how central cognition elaboration cue and peripheral cognition elaboration cue impact users' continuance intention of mobile health applications in the context of the developing markets.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Applying the elaboration likelihood model as the basic theoretical framework, this paper proposed the hypotheses and research model to explore the internal formation mechanism of users' continuance intention of mobile health applications. And the moderating effect of privacy concern was especially studied under the context of the developing market. The empirical investigation (N = 284) collects research data through questionnaire by selecting a certain mobile health application from Chinese markets.

FINDINGS: The results show that, both perceived usefulness and trust positively affect users' continuance intention. For central route, doctor's service quality and doctor's information quality positively influence perceived usefulness. For peripheral route, app's reputation and app's institution assurance significantly promote users' trust. What's more, for the moderating effect, privacy concern can enhance the impact of perceived usefulness on continuance intention and strengthen the effect of trust on continuance intention to a great extent.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This paper is one of the first studies to focus on users' continuance intention of mobile health apps with the moderating effect of privacy concern in the developing markets. It is valuable to develop the study from the perspective of process-oriented to persuasion to explore users' behavioral intention.