Trustworthiness in mHealth information services: An assessment of a hierarchical model with mediating and moderating effects using partial least squares (PLS)

The aim of this research is to advance both the theoretical conceptualization and the empirical validation of trustworthiness in mHealth (mobile health) information services research. Conceptually, it extends this line of research by reframing trustworthiness as a hierarchical, reflective construct, incorporating ability, benevolence, integrity, and predictability. Empirically, it confirms that partial least squares path modeling can be used to estimate the parameters of a hierarchical, reflective model with moderating and mediating effects in a nomological network. The model shows that trustworthiness is a second-order, reflective construct that has a significant direct and indirect impact on continuance intentions in the context of mHealth information services. It also confirms that consumer trust plays the key, mediating role between trustworthiness and continuance intentions, while trustworthiness does not have any moderating influence in the relationship between consumer trust and continuance intentions. Overall, the authors conclude by discussing conceptual contributions, methodological implications, limitations, and future research directions of the study.