CArticle RETRACTED due to malpractice onfigurational adoption of fitness technologies among business students using fsQCA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v82.119687Keywords:
active learning culture, business students, fitness technologies, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, wearable devicesAbstract
Introduction: digital fitness technologies support physical activity monitoring and self-management among university students.
Objective: this study analyzed the causal configurations that explain high adoption of fitness apps and wearable devices among final-level business students at a university-level technological institution in the Ecuadorian highlands.
Methodology: a quantitative, cross-sectional, explanatory-configurational design was applied to 403 valid responses. The model included perceived health–academic value, digital fitness self-efficacy, algorithmic coaching trust, privacy–personalization calculus, gamified social influence, fitness technology accessibility, and active learning culture. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability tests, complementary regression, fuzzy-set calibration, and fsQCA.
Results: the constructs showed adequate reliability. The regression model explained 75% of the variance in high adoption. No single condition was necessary, while five sufficient configurations were identified. Algorithmic coaching trust and privacy–personalization calculus appeared in all pathways.
Discussion: adoption was not explained only by access or perceived usefulness, but by combinations of trust, personalization, digital capability, gamification, and institutional culture.
Conclusions: high fitness technology adoption among business students is a configurational phenomenon that requires flexible and transparent digital physical-activity strategies.
References
Alqahtani, N., Bashatah, A., Alharbi, M. K., & Syed, W. (2025). Exploring usage and perceived effectiveness of fitness trackers and mobile health applications among university students in Saudi Arabia. Scientific Reports, 15(1), Article 37531. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-22743-3
Berbeka, J., Borodako, K., Rudnicki, M., & Łapczyński, M. (2023). The role of mobile fitness applications in student leisure activities. Journal of Leisure Research, 54(5), 519–538. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.2023.2249892
Cai, J., Wang, Q., & Yang, Q. (2025). A study on the use of fitness apps for extracurricular physical exercise among Chinese university students: A case study of a university in Yunnan. Communications in Computer and Information Science, 2447 CCIS, 135–150. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-3735-5_11
Chen, J.-A., Shih, C.-C., Lin, P.-F., Chen, J.-J., & Lin, K.-C. (2012). Collaborative evaluation and management of students' health-related physical fitness: Applications of cluster analysis and the classification tree. International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 24(2), 153–159. https://doi.org/10.1515/IJAMH.2012.023
Cheng, Y., Peng, Y., & Li, Y. (2022). Associated factors of fitness app usage among college students [大学生健身ＡＰＰ 使用状况及相关因素分析]. Chinese Journal of School Health, 43(7), 1007–1010. https://doi.org/10.16835/j.cnki.1000-9817.2022.07.012
Cho, J., Lee, H. E., Kim, S. J., & Park, D. (2015). Effects of body image on college students' attitudes toward diet/fitness apps on smartphones. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 18(1), 41–45. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2014.0383
Cho, J., Lee, H. E., & Quinlan, M. (2017). Cross-national comparisons of college students' attitudes toward diet/fitness apps on smartphones. Journal of American College Health, 65(7), 437–449. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2016.1270949
Coffman, E. M., Smitherman, A. B., Willis, E. A., Ward, D. S., Tate, D. F., & Valle, C. G. (2025). Frailty and comorbidities among young adult cancer survivors enrolled in an mHealth physical activity intervention trial. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 19(1), 54–65. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-023-01448-4
Dillon, K., Rollo, S., & Prapavessis, H. (2022). A combined health action process approach and mHealth intervention to reduce sedentary behaviour in university students–a randomized controlled trial. Psychology and Health, 37(6), 692–711. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2021.1900574
Gou, Q., Li, S., Ba, T., & Zhang, W. (2022). Usage of college students' fitness app in Lanzhou City [兰州市大学生体育锻炼 APP 使用情况]. Chinese Journal of School Health, 43(6), 869–871, 875. https://doi.org/10.16835/j.cnki.1000-9817.2022.06.017
Han, Y., & Li, L. (2025). Factors influencing university students' behavioral intentions to use global positioning system-based fitness apps developed using big data technology and regression analysis. Proceedings of the 2025 IEEE International Conference on Computation, Big-Data and Engineering, ICCBE 2025, 534–537. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICCBE65177.2025.11255935
Han, Y., & Li, L. (2026). The mechanism of mandatory exercise check-in on college students’ intention to use fitness apps: A complete mediation model. BMC Psychology, 14(1), Article 245. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-04045-z
Jiang, L. (2024). An empirical study on the promotion of college students' health behavior by sports and fitness app based on TPB. ACM International Conference Proceeding Series, 535–539. https://doi.org/10.1145/3687311.3687407
Kim, Y., Lumpkin, A., Lochbaum, M., Stegemeier, S., & Kitten, K. (2018). Promoting physical activity using a wearable activity tracker in college students: A cluster randomized controlled trial. Journal of Sports Sciences, 36(16), 1889–1896. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2018.1423886
Kulyk, O., Den Daas, C., David, S., & Van Gemert-Pijnen, L. (2015). How persuasive are serious games, social media and mHealth technologies for vulnerable young adults? Design factors for health behavior and lifestyle change support: Sexual health case. CEUR Workshop Proceedings, 1369, 28–42.
Li, J. (2021). Influence and effect of fitness applet on college students' physical health. Proceedings - 2021 2nd International Conference on Intelligent Computing and Human-Computer Interaction, ICHCI 2021, 38–40. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICHCI54629.2021.00015
Ma, G., Shi, Y., Ju, H., Chen, J., Zhao, Z., & Chen, Z. (2024). Use of mobile fitness app in college students and its relationship with healthy lifestyle [大学生移动健身ＡＰＰ 使用状况及其与健康生活方式的关系]. Chinese Journal of School Health, 45(8), 1131–1135. https://doi.org/10.16835/j.cnki.1000-9817.2024253
Mendoza, J. A., Baker, K. S., Moreno, M. A., Whitlock, K., Abbey-Lambertz, M., Waite, A., Colburn, T., & Chow, E. J. (2017). A Fitbit and Facebook mHealth intervention for promoting physical activity among adolescent and young adult childhood cancer survivors: A pilot study. Pediatric Blood and Cancer, 64(12), Article e26660. https://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.26660
Nam, J. S., Kim, H.-A., Kwak, T., Cho, K. H., Jung, I.-Y., & Moon, C.-W. (2024). Feasibility of mobile health app-based home aerobic exercise for physical performance in healthy young adults. Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine, 48(1), 75–85. https://doi.org/10.5535/arm.230023
Nuijten, R. C. Y., van Gorp, P., Borghouts, T., Le Blanc, P., van den Berg, P., Kemperman, A., Hadian, E., & Simons, M. (2021). Preadolescent students' engagement with an mHealth intervention fostering social comparison for health behavior change: Crossover experimental study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(7), Article e21202. https://doi.org/10.2196/21202
Oliveira, R., & Lima de Oliveira, M. V. (2021). Mhealth, physical activity and sedentary behavior in college students [Mhealth, hábitos de atividade física e comportamento sedentário entre jovens universitários]. Motricidade, 17(4), 327–337. https://doi.org/10.6063/motricidade.20552
Partridge, S. R., McGeechan, K., Bauman, A., Phongsavan, P., & Allman-Farinelli, M. (2017). Improved confidence in performing nutrition and physical activity behaviours mediates behavioural change in young adults: Mediation results of a randomised controlled mHealth intervention. Appetite, 108, 425–433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.11.005
Pittman, A. F. (2020). Effect of a school-based activity tracker, companion social website, and text messaging intervention on exercise, fitness, and physical activity self-efficacy of middle school students. Journal of School Nursing, 36(2), 112–120. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059840518791223
Pope, Z. C., Barr-Anderson, D. J., Lewis, B. A., Pereira, M. A., & Gao, Z. (2019). Use of wearable technology and social media to improve physical activity and dietary behaviors among college students: A 12-week randomized pilot study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(19), Article 3579. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16193579
Pramono, B. A., Hafidz, A., Fajar, M. K., Wijono, Wulandari, F. Y., Kusuma, I. D. M. A. W., & Hooi, L. B. (2023). Comparison between mobile fitness apps users and gender on exercise intensity in university students. Journal of Human Sport and Exercise, 19(2), 550–559. https://doi.org/10.14198/jhse.2024.192.10
Reading, J. M., Solk, P., Starikovsky, J., Hasanaj, K., Wang, S. D., Siddique, J., Sanford, S. D., Salsman, J., Horowitz, B., Freeman, H., Alexander, J., Sauer, C., Spring, B., Victorson, D., & Phillips, S. M. (2024). Optimization of an mHealth physical activity promotion intervention with mindful awareness for young adult cancer survivors: Design and methods of Opt2Move full factorial trial. Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health, 13. https://doi.org/10.1177/27536130241265669
Sañudo, B., Sanchez-Trigo, H., Domínguez, R., Flores-Aguilar, G., Sánchez-Oliver, A., Moral, J. E., & Oviedo-Caro, M. Á. (2024). A randomized controlled mHealth trial that evaluates social comparison-oriented gamification to improve physical activity, sleep quantity, and quality of life in young adults. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 72, Article 102590. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2024.102590
Shetty, V. B., Lim, R., Teo, S., Soon, W. H. K., Roby, H. C., Roberts, A. G., Smith, G. J., Fournier, P. A., Jones, T. W., & Davis, E. A. (2025). A novel mobile health app to educate and empower young adults with type 1 diabetes to exercise safely: Prospective single-arm pre-post noninferiority clinical trial. JMIR Diabetes, 10, Article e68694. https://doi.org/10.2196/68694
Soliman, M., Rasheed, A., Hady, H. A., Jdaitawi, M., Khamees, A., & Abdelsalam, R. (2022). The impact of mobile phone fitness applications on the level of physical fitness and psychological well-being during COVID-19: The case of university students. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 11(1), 299. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_1802_21
Valle, C. G., Camp, L. N., Diamond, M., Nezami, B. T., LaRose, J. G., Pinto, B. M., & Tate, D. F. (2022). Recruitment of young adult cancer survivors into a randomized controlled trial of an mHealth physical activity intervention. Trials, 23(1), Article 254. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-022-06148-5
Valle, C. G., Diamond, M. A., Heiling, H. M., Deal, A. M., Hales, D. P., Nezami, B. T., Pinto, B. M., LaRose, J. G., Rini, C. M., & Tate, D. F. (2023a). Effect of an mHealth intervention on physical activity outcomes among young adult cancer survivors: The IMPACT randomized controlled trial. Cancer, 129(3), 461–472. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.34556
Valle, C. G., Diamond, M. A., Heiling, H. M., Deal, A. M., Hales, D. P., Nezami, B. T., LaRose, J. G., Rini, C. M., Pinto, B. M., & Tate, D. F. (2023b). Physical activity maintenance among young adult cancer survivors in an mHealth intervention: Twelve-month outcomes from the IMPACT randomized controlled trial. Cancer Medicine, 12(15), 16502–16516. https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.6238
Valle, C. G., Heiling, H. M., Deal, A. M., Diamond, M. A., Hales, D. P., Nezami, B. T., Rini, C. M., Pinto, B. M., LaRose, J. G., & Tate, D. F. (2025). Examining sociodemographic and health-related characteristics as moderators of an mHealth intervention on physical activity outcomes in young adult cancer survivors. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 19(5), 1611–1622. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-024-01577-4
Valle, C. G., Pinto, B. M., LaRose, J. G., Diamond, M., Horrell, L. N., Nezami, B. T., Hatley, K. E., Coffman, E. M., Polzien, K., Hales, D. P., Deal, A. M., Rini, C. M., Rosenstein, D. L., & Tate, D. F. (2021). Promoting physical activity in young adult cancer survivors using mHealth and adaptive tailored feedback strategies: Design of the Improving Physical Activity after Cancer Treatment (IMPACT) randomized controlled trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 103, Article 106293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2021.106293
Viciana, J., Casado-Robles, C., Guijarro-Romero, S., & Mayorga-Vega, D. (2022). Are wrist-worn activity trackers and mobile applications valid for assessing physical activity in high school students? Wearfit study. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 21(3), 356–375. https://doi.org/10.52082/jssm.2022.356
Wang, Y., & Du, P. (2023). Analysis of college students' social anxiety and fitness app based on structural equation model in information age. Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, 12597, Article 1259708. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2671932
Xu, S., Guo, Z., & Hu, L. (2025). Effectiveness of a social cognitive theory-guided, multi-component mHealth intervention on physical activity among young adults with overweight or obesity. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2025.2599886
Yan, A. F., Stevens, P., Wang, Y., Weinhardt, L., Holt, C. L., O'Connor, C., Feller, T., Xie, H., & Luelloff, S. (2015). mHealth text messaging for physical activity promotion in college students: A formative participatory approach. American Journal of Health Behavior, 39(3), 395–408. https://doi.org/10.5993/AJHB.39.3.12
Yu, J.-H., Ku, G. C.-M., Lo, Y.-C., Chen, C.-H., & Hsu, C.-H. (2021). Identifying the antecedents of university students’ usage behaviour of fitness apps. Sustainability, 13(16), Article 9043. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169043
Zhang, Q., Li, Z., Jiang, L., Gao, Y., Gong, T., Li, J., & Zhou, Z. (2025). Effects of an exercise intervention based on mHealth technology on the physical health of male university students with overweight and obesity: Randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 27, Article e69451. https://doi.org/10.2196/69451
Zhang, X., & Xu, X. (2020). Continuous use of fitness apps and shaping factors among college students: A mixed-method investigation. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 7, S80–S87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2020.07.009
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Alexander Haro-Sarango, Gladys Proaño-Altamirano, Diana Castillo-Martínez, Evelyn Gavilanes-Carranza
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and ensure the magazine the right to be the first publication of the work as licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of authorship of the work and the initial publication in this magazine.
- Authors can establish separate additional agreements for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in the journal (eg, to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Is allowed and authors are encouraged to disseminate their work electronically (eg, in institutional repositories or on their own website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as to a subpoena more Early and more of published work (See The Effect of Open Access) (in English).
This journal provides immediate open access to its content (BOAI, http://legacy.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/boaifaq.htm#openaccess) on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. The authors may download the papers from the journal website, or will be provided with the PDF version of the article via e-mail.
