BackgroundThe Internet enables an unprecedented opportunity to access a broad range of self-tests (e.g. testing for HIV, cancer, hepatitis B/C), which can be conducted by lay consumers without the help of a health professional. However, there is only little knowledge about the determinants of the use of self-tests. Thus, the aims of this study were (1) to experimentally investigate the impact of situational and application-related characteristics on the intention to use a self-test (ST), compared to being tested by a health professional at home (HPH) or at a doctor’s office (HPD), (2) to examine the applicability of social-cognitive health behaviour theories on self-testing, and (3) to explore the advantages of integrating technological affinity into social-cognitive health behaviour models to predict self-testing.MethodsIn a factorial survey, 1248 vignettes were rated by 208 students. The core concepts of social-cognitive health behaviour theories, technological affinity, and different situational and application-related characteristics were investigated.ResultsIntention to ST was only predicted by the medical expertise of the tested person, while HPH and HPD were also associated with the application purpose of the test and the presence of an emotionally supporting person. Perceived severity and outcome-expectancy significantly predicted intention to self-test. Technological enthusiastic people had a higher intention to use a self-test.ConclusionsIntention to ST, HPH and HPD were predicted by different situational and application-related characteristics. Social-cognitive health behaviour theories can be applied to predict self-testing and do not need to be extended by technological affinity.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12913-017-2394-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Our ambulatory assessment study explores the impact of the weather on the mental well-being of people with increased susceptibility. Participants with hay fever (n = 28) were assessed three times a day over a period of two weeks. Self-reported assessments covered different indicators of mental well-being, including momentary affect, subjective health as well as symptom burden. Based on tracked time stamps and location information, the data was matched with concurrent observation data from weather stations. We applied multilevel analysis to identify the main effects of selected environmental parameters (temperature, precipitation, wind power, sunshine duration and relative humidity) on all indicators of subjective well-being. Results confirm the main effects of sunshine duration, relative humidity and temperature on momentary affect as well as of sunshine duration, relative humidity and precipitation on subjective health and symptom burden. However, influences of environmental parameters on momentary affect were quite small and do not differ from effects documented in previous research in healthy samples with non-increased susceptibility.

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Abstract. The aim of this intensive longitudinal study was to examine the moderating effect of affect on the optimism-health relationship and to separately consider valence and arousal, the basic dimensions of affect. For 14 days 45 students answered three times a day a questionnaire regarding affect and health status. Valence interacts with optimism in the prediction of health and tense arousal moderates the pessimism-health relationship. Findings provide support for the relevance of a two-factor model of dispositional optimism and the importance of separate consideration of the basic affect dimensions in the understanding of the processes between optimism and health.