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Self-Regulation and External Influence: The Relative Efficacy of Mobile Apps and Offline Channels for Personal Weight Management

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  • Hyeokkoo Eric Kwon

    (Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798)

  • Sanjeev Dewan

    (The Paul Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine, California 92697)

  • Wonseok Oh

    (College of Business, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02455, Korea)

  • Taekyung Kim

    (Department of Business Administration, Kwangwoon University, Seoul 01897, Korea)

Abstract

This study contributes to the information systems literature on mobile health interventions and omnichannel management by examining the relative effectiveness of mobile and offline channels in facilitating personal weight management. Drawing on the social cognitive theory of self-regulation, our empirical analysis utilizes a system generalized method of moments approach applied to panel data on customers enrolled in a weight loss program that delivers services through multiple channels, including a mobile app and offline office visits. Our results show that the use of the mobile app is positively associated with weight management by both free and paid users. For paid users, who have access to the mobile app and office visits, usage of both channels is associated with increased short-term weight loss. Furthermore, the two channels function as substitutes for one another, with users able to compensate for infrequent offline store visits through more intense mobile app usage. In the long term, however, only mobile app usage (and not offline store visits) contributes to the sustainability of weight loss, as reflected in reduced weight variability and lower overall failure rate. Qualitative evidence gleaned from interviews with actual customers substantiated the self-regulation mechanism enabled by mobile app usage. Additional empirical analyses further revealed that frequency and granularity of mobile app usage are positively associated with weight loss. We also found that individuals exposed to low performance pressure benefit more fully from mobile app usage. The results are robust to endogeneity concerns and alternative measures of the key variables. Overall, our analysis sheds light on the important role of a self-regulatory mobile app in a multichannel setting of personal weight management, as compared with the external influence stemming from human experts in offline channels, with useful implications for research and practice.

Suggested Citation

  • Hyeokkoo Eric Kwon & Sanjeev Dewan & Wonseok Oh & Taekyung Kim, 2023. "Self-Regulation and External Influence: The Relative Efficacy of Mobile Apps and Offline Channels for Personal Weight Management," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 34(1), pages 50-66, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:orisre:v:34:y:2023:i:1:p:50-66
    DOI: 10.1287/isre.2022.1144
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. KyungPyo Kang & JaeHong Park, 2024. "Dual verifications in mHealth apps: Supporting self-regulation or increasing friction?," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 34(1), pages 1-18, December.

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