{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,3]],"date-time":"2026-06-03T05:06:01Z","timestamp":1780463161541,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,26]],"date-time":"2025-11-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1764115200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The prevalence of Type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasing, leading to a need for more sustainable and patient-centered solutions. The marketplace for mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps) that aid self-management of chronic diseases, such as T2DM, is growing. However, attitudes toward and acceptance of such technology in Saudi Arabia remain limited, particularly regarding preferences and needs. Therefore, understanding the acceptance and attitude toward using mHealth apps and preferred features is essential for planning appropriate methods and strategies to encourage usage among people with T2DM. This study aimed to determine the acceptance of and attitudes toward mHealth apps for self-management among people with T2DM in Saudi Arabia. It also seeks to understand the features that people with T2DM need and prefer regarding the mHealth apps.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A cross-sectional study using a structured self-administered questionnaire was conducted on people with T2DM living in Saudi Arabia. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics to examine acceptance, perspectives, and attitudes toward using mHealth apps.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A total of 424 individuals with T2DM completed the study questionnaire; among them, 92.5% owned smartphones, and 12.3% had previously used mHealth apps. Almost all respondents (98.1%) expressed willingness to use apps for self-managing T2DM. Medication reminders (78.3%) and diet management (69.8%) were the highest-ranked features of the mHealth app for T2DM self-management. Additionally, willingness to use apps for T2DM self-management was positively associated with education level and the number of medications taken daily (P\u2009=\u20090.002 and P\u2009=\u20090.04, respectively).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Overall, using a mHealth app appears to be an acceptable approach to aid the self-management of T2DM in Saudi Arabia, especially among the younger population. The features most required for future mHealth apps were identified, which could aid the design, acceptability, and usage of such apps.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0331314","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,26]],"date-time":"2025-11-26T18:21:28Z","timestamp":1764181288000},"page":"e0331314","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Exploring the acceptability and attitude toward mobile health applications to aid self-management for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Saudi Arabia: A descriptive cross-sectional study"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5611-4782","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Amani","family":"Khardali","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,26]]},"reference":[{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0331314.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"137","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jcjd.2013.04.005","article-title":"The Canadian Diabetes Association 2013 Clinical Practice Guidelines- Raising the Bar and Setting Higher Standards!","volume":"37","author":"AYY Cheng","year":"2013","journal-title":"Can J Diabetes"},{"key":"pone.0331314.ref002","article-title":"IDF Diabetes Atlas: Global, regional and country-level diabetes prevalence estimates for 2021 and projections for 2045","volume":"183","author":"H Sun","year":"2022","journal-title":"Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0331314.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"143","DOI":"10.12968\/coan.2018.23.3.143","article-title":"Diabetes mellitus: Guidance for managing diabetes in practice","volume":"23","author":"N Ackerman","year":"2018","journal-title":"Companion Animal"},{"key":"pone.0331314.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(17)32967-7","article-title":"Supported self-management for people with type 2 diabetes: a meta-review of quantitative systematic reviews","volume":"390","author":"M Captieux","year":"2017","journal-title":"The Lancet"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0331314.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"561","DOI":"10.2337\/diacare.24.3.561","article-title":"Effectiveness of self-management training in type 2 diabetes: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials","volume":"24","author":"SL Norris","year":"2001","journal-title":"Diabetes Care"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0331314.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.2196\/jmir.2439","article-title":"Web 2.0 chronic disease self-management for older adults: a systematic review","volume":"15","author":"M Stellefson","year":"2013","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0331314.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.2196\/jmir.4883","article-title":"The Effectiveness of Self-Management Mobile Phone and Tablet Apps in Long-term Condition Management: A Systematic Review","volume":"18","author":"L Whitehead","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0331314.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1111\/ijcp.13345","article-title":"Health apps usage and preferences among Saudi patients with diabetes: A survey","volume":"73","author":"M Rafiullah","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int J Clin Pract"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0331314.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0173160","article-title":"Effectiveness of mHealth interventions for patients with diabetes: An overview of systematic reviews","volume":"12","author":"S Kitsiou","year":"2017","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0331314.ref010","article-title":"T2DM Self-Management via Smartphone Applications: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","volume":"11","author":"M Cui","year":"2016","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"pone.0331314.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.21037\/mhealth.2016.08.01","article-title":"A mobile diabetes management and educational system for type-2 diabetics in Saudi Arabia (SAED)","volume":"2","author":"MM Alotaibi","year":"2016","journal-title":"Mhealth"},{"issue":"7","key":"pone.0331314.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.2196\/10723","article-title":"Mobile Apps to Support the Self-Management of Hypertension: Systematic Review of Effectiveness, Usability, and User Satisfaction","volume":"6","author":"T Alessa","year":"2018","journal-title":"JMIR Mhealth Uhealth"},{"key":"pone.0331314.ref013","article-title":"Health app use among US mobile phone users: analysis of trends by chronic disease status","author":"R Robbins","year":"2017","journal-title":"JMIR mHealth and uHealth"},{"key":"pone.0331314.ref014","unstructured":"Mobile phone internet users in Saudi Arabia 2029. 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