[Factors influencing the continued intention to use health science popularization WeChat accounts among university students in Chengdu in 2023]

Objective: Exploring factors influencing the continued use intention of health science popularization WeChat accounts among university students in Chengdu.

Methods: Stratified cluster random sampling was employed to select students from 10 universities in Chengdu in 2023 as research subjects, with data collected via a questionnaire. The questionnaire encompassed demographic information, usage patterns of health science popularization WeChat accounts, and factors influencing continued use intentions. After designing the questionnaire on the Wenjuanxing website, teachers or tutors distributed the survey link or QR code to students, who voluntarily completed the questionnaire anonymously. Descriptive analysis was conducted using SPSS 26.0, while structural equation model fitting, path coefficient testing, and mediation effect testing were performed using AMOS 26.0.

Results: After excluding invalid questionnaires, a total of 745 valid responses were included. The structural equation model demonstrated good fit(CMIN/DF=4.106, RMSEA=0.065, NFI=0.898, CFI=0.921). Path coefficient analysis revealed positive impacts of health information quality(standardized coefficient 0.54, P<0.001), social value(standardized coefficient 0.177, P<0.001), and perceived entertainment value(standardized coefficient 0.246, P<0.001) on expectation confirmation. Service quality negatively influenced perceived usefulness(standardized coefficient-0.223, P=0.037). Health information quality(standardized coefficient 0.899, P<0.001) and expectation confirmation(standardized coefficient 0.167, P=0.004) positively influenced perceived usefulness, which along with satisfaction(standardized coefficient 0.988, P<0.001) positively influenced continued use intention. The mediation effect analysis revealed that expectation confirmation indirectly affects continued use intentions through satisfaction, with an indirect effect of 0.475(95%CI 0.240-0.800). Health information quality indirectly influences continued use intentions through perceived usefulness and expectation confirmation, with indirect effects of 0.296(95%CI 0.094-0.768) and 0.290(0.085-0.897), respectively. Expectation confirmation also indirectly influences continued use intentions through perceived usefulness, with an indirect effect of 0.049(95%CI 0.004-0.140). Social value indirectly affects continued use intentions through expectation confirmation and perceived usefulness, with an indirect effect of 0.008(95%CI 0.000-0.040), and through expectation confirmation and satisfaction, with an indirect effect of 0.084(95%CI 0.015-0.233). The indirect effect of service quality on continued use intentions through perceived usefulness was-0.080(95%CI-0.138-0.016), which was not significant. Perceived entertainment value indirectly influences continued use intentions through expectation confirmation and perceived usefulness, with an indirect effect of 0.012(95%CI 0.000-0.052), and through expectation confirmation and satisfaction, with an indirect effect of 0.117(95%CI 0.030-0.298).

Conclusion: Expectation confirmation, health information quality, perceived entertainment value, perceived usefulness, and satisfaction are factors influencing users' continued usage intentions. Expectation confirmation, health information quality, and perceived entertainment value indirectly affect users' continued usage intentions through perceived usefulness and satisfaction.