Access to Broadband Internet and its Utilization for Health Information Seeking and Health Communication among Informal Caregivers in the United States

Kim, Hyunmin; Mahmood, Asos; Goldsmith, Joy; Chang, Hyuk‐Jae; Kedia, Satish; Chang, Cyril F.

doi:10.1007/s10916-021-01708-9

Cited by 17 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…The finding that individuals with higher education level and high-income high SES background are more likely to use DHT matches observations from past studies 16 . That notwithstanding, cost, lack of access to Internet, and lack of awareness have been cited as some of the reasons accounting for disparities in the use of DHT among individuals with low SES 17,18 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trends and factors associated with use of digital health technology among adults with serious psychological distress in the United States: A secondary data analysis of the National Health Interview Survey

Onyeaka¹,

Acquah²,

Firth³

et al. 2022

Popul. Med.

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INTRODUCTIONThis study sought to investigate the trend and factors associated with DHT (Digital Health Tools) utilization among individuals with SPD (serious psychological distress) in the US. METHODS Data were drawn from the 2013 to 2017 National Health Interview Survey. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression were employed to assess the use of DHT among individuals aged ≥18 years with SPD. RESULTS A total of 6110 adults reported SPD and of these, 15.6% reported at least one technology-based interaction with the health system. During the 5-year period, the proportion of individuals with SPD who utilized any DHT to interact with the healthcare system doubled from 10.0% in 2013 to 21.3% in 2017 (p<0.001). In multivariable models, several sociodemographic factors predicted DHT use. CONCLUSIONS The use of DHT among individuals with SPD in the US increased between 2013 and 2017. However, sociodemographic disparities in DHT use among this population exist.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trends and factors associated with use of digital health technology among adults with serious psychological distress in the United States: A secondary data analysis of the National Health Interview Survey

Onyeaka¹,

Acquah²,

Firth³

et al. 2022

Popul. Med.

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“…Access to the internet has been argued to be both a social determinant of health (Benda et al 2020) and a basic need that is necessary to thrive in the digitally dependent world (Early, Hernandez 2021). Digital healthcare provides patients with more access and control of their medical records (Rodriguez, Bates 2020), supports older people living the community (Hamblin 2020), and reduces the burden for care givers (Kim et al 2021). Covid-19 highlighted that the internet provides crucial access to information and advice, online consultations, and services.…”

Section: Health Education Wellbeing And/or Identitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Covid-19 highlighted that the internet provides crucial access to information and advice, online consultations, and services. The shift to digital gives healthcare providers the capability to deliver more efficient and effective care, particularly to those living in remote areas (Kim et al 2021, Gann 2019, Srivastava, Shainesh 2015.…”

Section: Health Education Wellbeing And/or Identitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the digital divide is known to lead to uneven health outcomes. Racial and ethnic minorities, low socio-economic groups, the elderly, and rural populations suffer the worst healthcare outcomes and are also those affected most by the digital divide (Hadeler et al 2021, Kim et al 2021, Gann 2019. Early, Hernandez (2021) argue that Covid-19 widened the digital divide and amplified systemic racism in the US, where people from Black and Hispanic backgrounds were found to have lower rates of digital access (Dolcini et al 2021).…”

Section: Health Education Wellbeing And/or Identitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Investment in digital infrastructure: Why and for whom?

Webber

Hughes

Pacheco

et al. 2022

REGION

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This study investigates the variation in attitudes across stakeholders towards investments in the digital economy. Using semi-structured interviews to identify attitudes about the spatially evolving socioeconomic importance of the digital economy in New Zealand, we identified seven distinct yet partially overlapping concerns that prioritise preferences for digital investment. A key finding is that there are important asymmetries in stakeholders' narratives and epistemological foundations that currently align to collectively strengthen resolve to invest in digital infrastructure and training, but this alignment may splinter in future. Some stakeholders saw internet access as coalescing social economy, and there were concerns that some people and some places would get left behind if access is not rolled out uniformly and as a priority. There were disagreements about who will prosper, who will get left behind, who should pay for upgrading digital skills, the extent that investments were connected with wellbeing and identity, whether fake news was significant, and the longevity of the impact of digital economy investments. This study contributes to theory by demonstrating that practically-relevant, socially-informed policy decisions can be underpinned by collective efforts that draw on heterogeneous narratives and multidimensional understandings.

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“…Evidence suggests that informal caregivers may encounter challenges in providing care, which often requires considerable time and effort. This caregiving burden may result in poorer health outcomes among the caregivers [2,3]. Those caring for patients with Alzheimer disease, other dementias, and cancer are more likely to experience additional burden or distress associated with the caregiving, leading to even worse health outcomes, including depressive symptoms, lower rates of physical inactivity, poorer diet, and insufficient sleep [1,4,5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wearable Activity Tracker Use and Physical Activity Among Informal Caregivers in the United States: Quantitative Study

Mahmood¹,

Kim²,

Kedia³

et al. 2022

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth

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Background With an increase in aging population and chronic medical conditions in the United States, the role of informal caregivers has become paramount as they engage in the care of their loved ones. Mounting evidence suggests that such responsibilities place substantial burden on informal caregivers and can negatively impact their health. New wearable health and activity trackers (wearables) are increasingly being used to facilitate and monitor healthy behaviors and to improve health outcomes. Although prior studies have examined the efficacy of wearables in improving health and well-being in the general population, little is known about their benefits among informal caregivers. Objective This study aimed to examine the association between use of wearables and levels of physical activity (PA) among informal caregivers in the United States. Methods We used data from the National Cancer Institute’s Health Information National Trends Survey 5 (cycle 3, 2019 and cycle 4, 2020) for a nationally representative sample of 1273 community-dwelling informal caregivers—aged ≥18 years, 60% (757/1273) female, 75.7% (990/1273) had some college or more in education, and 67.3% (885/1273) had ≥1 chronic medical condition—in the United States. Using jackknife replicate weights, a multivariable logistic regression was fit to assess an independent association between the use of wearables and a binary outcome: meeting or not meeting the current World Health Organization’s recommendation of PA for adults (≥150 minutes of at least moderate-intensity PA per week). Results More than one-third (466/1273, 37.8%) of the informal caregivers met the recommendations for adult PA. However, those who reported using wearables (390/1273, 31.7%) had slightly higher odds of meeting PA recommendations (adjusted odds ratios 1.1, 95% CI 1.04-1.77; P=.04) compared with those who did not use wearables. Conclusions The results demonstrated a positive association between the use of wearables and levels of PA among informal caregivers in the United States. Therefore, efforts to incorporate wearable technology into the development of health-promoting programs or interventions for informal caregivers could potentially improve their health and well-being. However, any such effort should address the disparities in access to innovative digital technologies, including wearables, to promote health equity. Future longitudinal studies are required to further support the current findings of this study.

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Access to Broadband Internet and its Utilization for Health Information Seeking and Health Communication among Informal Caregivers in the United States

Cited by 17 publications

References 28 publications

Trends and factors associated with use of digital health technology among adults with serious psychological distress in the United States: A secondary data analysis of the National Health Interview Survey

Trends and factors associated with use of digital health technology among adults with serious psychological distress in the United States: A secondary data analysis of the National Health Interview Survey

Investment in digital infrastructure: Why and for whom?

Wearable Activity Tracker Use and Physical Activity Among Informal Caregivers in the United States: Quantitative Study

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