Characteristics Associated With Facebook Use and Interest in Digital Disease Support Among Older Adults With Atrial Fibrillation: Cross-Sectional Analysis of Baseline Data From the Systematic Assessment of Geriatric Elements in Atrial Fibrillation (SAGE-AF) Cohort

Abstract

BackgroundOnline support groups for atrial fibrillation (AF) and apps to detect and manage AF exist, but the scientific literature does not describe which patients are interested in digital disease support.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to describe characteristics associated with Facebook use and interest in digital disease support among older patients with AF who used the internet.MethodsWe used baseline data from the Systematic Assessment of Geriatric Elements in Atrial Fibrillation (SAGE-AF), a prospective cohort of older adults (≥65 years) with AF at high stroke risk. Participants self-reported demographics, clinical characteristics, and Facebook and technology use. Online patients (internet use in the past 4 weeks) were asked whether they would be interested in participating in an online support AF community. Mobile users (owns smartphone and/or tablet) were asked about interest in communicating with their health care team about their AF-related health using a secure app. Logistic regression models identified crude and multivariable predictors of Facebook use and interest in digital disease support.ResultsOnline patients (N=816) were aged 74.2 (SD 6.6) years, 47.8% (390/816) were female, and 91.1% (743/816) were non-Hispanic white. Roughly half (52.5%; 428/816) used Facebook. Facebook use was more common among women (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.21, 95% CI 1.66-2.95) and patients with mild to severe depressive symptoms (aOR 1.50, 95% CI 1.08-2.10) and less common among patients aged ≥85 years (aOR 0.27, 95% CI 0.15-0.48). Forty percent (40.4%; 330/816) reported interest in an online AF patient community. Interest in an online AF patient community was more common among online patients with some college/trade school or Bachelors/graduate school (aOR 1.70, 95% CI 1.10-2.61 and aOR 1.82, 95% CI 1.13-2.92, respectively), obesity (aOR 1.65, 95% CI 1.08-2.52), online health information seeking at most weekly or multiple times per week (aOR 1.84, 95% CI 1.32-2.56 and aOR 2.78, 95% CI 1.86-4.16, respectively), and daily Facebook use (aOR 1.76, 95% CI 1.26-2.46). Among mobile users, 51.8% (324/626) reported interest in communicating with their health care team via a mobile app. Interest in app-mediated communication was less likely among women (aOR 0.48, 95% CI 0.34-0.68) and more common among online patients who had completed trade school/some college versus high school/General Educational Development (aOR 1.95, 95% CI 1.17-3.22), sought online health information at most weekly or multiple times per week (aOR 1.86, 95% CI 1.27-2.74 and aOR 2.24, 95% CI 1.39-3.62, respectively), and had health-related apps (aOR 3.92, 95% CI 2.62-5.86).ConclusionsAmong older adults with AF who use the internet, technology use and demographics are associated with interest in digital disease support. Clinics and health care providers may wish to encourage patients to join an existing online support community for AF and explore opportunities for app-mediated patient-provider communication.

Interest in an Instagram-delivered gestational weight gain intervention among pregnant women with pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity

“…While frequency of sharing Stories, commenting, and posting about diet, exercise, or weight were associated with program interest in crude regression models, they were no longer statistically significant after controlling for post frequency, likely because women who posted also shared Stories, commented, and posted about GWG-related topics more often. These findings are similar to previous research assessing interest in digital health interventions among pregnant women ( 5 ) and non-pregnant adults ( 18 , 25 ) that found that participants who engaged in online health information-seeking and used social media more frequently were more likely to report high interest in digital interventions. Together, available evidence suggests that social media-delivered health interventions may be best suited for those already engaged in managing their health on these platforms.…”

Mobile health assessments of geriatric elements in older patients with atrial fibrillation: The Mobile SAGE-AF Study (M-SAGE)

“…With older adults increasingly engaging with technology and telehealth visits, 22 opportunities for mHealth assessments are expanding. 23 Several studies have captured single components of a geriatric assessment, such as fall risk and depression, in the context of disease management 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 474 475 476 interventions. [24][25][26] However, remote administration of a more complete geriatric assessment remains an untapped resource for surveillance and identification of patients at high risk for poor medication adherence and disease management.…”

“…With older adults increasingly engaging with technology and telehealth visits, 22 opportunities for mHealth assessments are expanding. 23 Several studies have captured single components of a geriatric assessment, such as fall risk and depression, in the context of disease management interventions. 24 , 25 , 26 However, remote administration of a more complete geriatric assessment remains an untapped resource for surveillance and identification of patients at high risk for poor medication adherence and disease management.…”