Meeting the Healthy People 2020 Goals: Using the Health Information National Trends Survey to Monitor Progress on Health Communication Objectives

BACKGROUND As the year 2020 approaches, there is a need to evaluate progress toward the United States government’s Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) health information technology and communication objectives to establish baselines upon which Healthy People 2030 objectives can be based. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to use the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) to benchmark progress toward HP2020 goals related to increasing internet access using broadband, and to assess the state of the digital divide for various sociodemographic groups. METHODS We merged and analyzed data from 8 administrations of HINTS (2003-2017). Descriptive statistics were generated, and predicted marginals were calculated using interaction terms between survey year and selected sociodemographic variables of interest, including age, sex, race and ethnicity, income, education, and geography (rural versus urban), to test for differential change over time. RESULTS The number of users having access to the internet increased between 2003 and 2014 (63.15% [3982/6358] to 83.41% [2802/3629]); it remained relatively steady from 2014 to 2017 (81.15% [2533/3283]). Broadband access increased between 2003 and 2011 (from 32.83% [1031/3352] to 77.87% [3375/4405]), but has been declining since (55.93% [1364/2487] in 2017). Access via cellular network increased between 2008 and 2017 (from 6.86% [240/4405] to 65.43% [1436/2489]). Statistically significant disparities in overall internet access were noted in the predicted marginals for age, sex, race and ethnicity, income, and education; for age, sex, income, and geography for broadband access; and for age and sex for cellular network. CONCLUSIONS The targets set forth in HP2020 were met for overall internet access and for internet access via cellular network; however, the target was not met for internet access via broadband. Furthermore, although the digital divide persisted by sociodemographic characteristics, the magnitude of many disparities in access decreased over time.

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Tracking Healthy People 2020 Internet, Broadband, and Mobile Device Access Goals: An Update Using Data From the Health Information National Trends Survey

Journal of Medical Internet Research ◽

10.2196/13300 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 21 (6) ◽

pp. e13300 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Alexandra J Greenberg-Worisek ◽

Shaheen Kurani ◽

Lila J Finney Rutten ◽

Kelly D Blake ◽

Richard P Moser ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Information ◽

Mobile Device ◽

Healthy People ◽

Healthy People 2020 ◽

Using Data ◽

National Trends

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Use of Social Media in Health Communication: Findings From the Health Information National Trends Survey 2013, 2014, and 2017

Cancer Control ◽

10.1177/1073274819841442 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 107327481984144 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Jinhai Huo ◽

Raj Desai ◽

Young-Rock Hong ◽

Kea Turner ◽

Arch G. Mainous ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Social Media ◽

Health Communication ◽

Sample Size ◽

Health Information ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Medical Information ◽

Use Of Social Media ◽

National Trends ◽

Pooled Sample

The number of social media users has increased substantially in the past decade, creating an opportunity for health-care professionals and patients to leverage social media for health communication. This study examines the recent use and predictors of social media for health communication in a nationally representative sample of US adults over time. We used 2013, 2014, and 2017 National Cancer Institute’s Health Information National Trends Survey to identify respondents’ use of social media for sharing health information or exchanging medical information with a health-care professional. We conducted bivariate analysis using the Pearson χ2 test to assess the association of respondents’ basic demographic characteristics as well as health status and the use of social media for health communication. We performed multivariable logistic regression models to examine factors associated with the use of social media for health communication. We identified 4242 respondents (weighted sample size: 343 465 241 [2-year pooled sample]) who used social media for sharing health information and 4834 respondents (weighted sample size: 354 419 489 [2-year pooled sample]) who used social media for exchanging medical information. Multivariable analyses indicated the proportion of respondents who used social media for sharing health information has decreased (odds ratio [OR], 0.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.49-0.85, P = .002), while the use of social media for exchanging medical information with a health-care professional has increased (OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.09-3.26, P = .025). The younger population had significantly higher odds of using social media for health communication. The study found no racial/ethnic disparities in the use of social media for health communication. Use of social media for sharing health information has declined, while exchanging medical information with health-care professionals has increased. Future research is needed to determine how to engage the population in social media–based health interventions, particularly for older adults.

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Online Health Information Seeking Among US Adults: Measuring Progress Toward a Healthy People 2020 Objective

Public Health Reports ◽

10.1177/0033354919874074 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 134 (6) ◽

pp. 617-625 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Lila J. Finney Rutten ◽

Kelly D. Blake ◽

Alexandra J. Greenberg-Worisek ◽

Summer V. Allen ◽

Richard P. Moser ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Information ◽

Information Source ◽

Healthy People ◽

Easy Access ◽

The Internet ◽

Online Health Information ◽

Multivariable Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Annual Household Income ◽

Healthy People 2020 ◽

Race Ethnicity

Objective: During the past decade, the availability of health information online has increased dramatically. We assessed progress toward the Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) health communication and health information technology objective of increasing the proportion of health information seekers who easily access health information online. Methods: We used data from 4 administrations of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 2008-2017) (N = 18 103). We conducted multivariable logistic regression analysis to evaluate trends over time in experiences with accessing health information and to examine differences by sociodemographic variables (sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, income, metropolitan status) separately for those who used the internet (vs other information sources) during their most recent search for health information. Results: Among US adults who looked for health information and used the internet for their most recent search, the percentage who reported accessing health information without frustration was stable during the study period (from 37.2% in 2008 to 38.5% in 2017). Accessing information online without frustration was significantly and independently associated with age 35-49 (vs age 18-34) (odds ratio [OR] = 1.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03 -1.73), non-Hispanic black (vs non-Hispanic white) race/ethnicity (OR = 2.15; 95% CI, 1.55-2.97), and annual household income <$20 000 (vs >$75 000) (OR = 0.66; 95% CI, 0.47-0.93). The percentage of adults who used an information source other than the internet and reported accessing health information online without frustration ranged from 31.3% in 2008 to 42.7% in 2017. Survey year 2017 (vs 2008) (OR = 1.61; 95% CI, 1.09-2.35) and high school graduate education (vs college graduate) (OR = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.49-0.97) were significantly and independently associated with accessing health information without frustration from sources other than the internet. Conclusions: The percentage of online health information seekers reporting easily accessing health information did not meet the HP2020 objective. Continued efforts are needed to enable easy access to online health information among diverse populations.

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The Internet as a Health Information Source: Findings from the 2007 Health Information National Trends Survey and Implications for Health Communication

Journal of Health Communication ◽

10.1080/10810730.2010.522700 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 15 (sup3) ◽

pp. 279-293 ◽

Cited By ~ 149

Author(s):

Susan Koch-Weser ◽

Ylisabyth S. Bradshaw ◽

Lisa Gualtieri ◽

Susan S. Gallagher

Keyword(s):

Health Communication ◽

Health Information ◽

Information Source ◽

The Internet ◽

National Trends

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Public use of electronic personal health information: Measuring progress of the Healthy People 2020 objectives

Health Policy and Technology ◽

10.1016/j.hlpt.2016.08.003 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 33-39 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Alexandra J. Greenberg ◽

Katrina J. Serrano ◽

Chan L. Thai ◽

Kelly D. Blake ◽

Richard P. Moser ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Information ◽

Healthy People ◽

Personal Health Information ◽

Personal Health ◽

Information Measuring ◽

Healthy People 2020

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Progress on Broadband Access to the Internet and Use of Mobile Devices in the United States

Public Health Reports ◽

10.1177/0033354916679365 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 132 (1) ◽

pp. 27-31 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Katrina J. Serrano ◽

Chan L. Thai ◽

Alexandra J. Greenberg ◽

Kelly D. Blake ◽

Richard P. Moser ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Information ◽

Mobile Devices ◽

Cellular Network ◽

The United States ◽

The Internet ◽

Broadband Access ◽

Improve Population Health ◽

The Us ◽

Healthy People 2020 ◽

National Trends

Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) aims to improve population health outcomes through several objectives, including health communication and health information technology. We used 7 administrations of the Health Information National Trends Survey to examine HP2020 goals toward access to the Internet through broadband and mobile devices (N = 34 080). We conducted descriptive analyses and obtained predicted marginals, also known as model-adjusted risks, to estimate the association between demographic characteristics and use of mobile devices. The HP2020 target (7.7% of the US population) for accessing the Internet through a cellular network was surpassed in 2014 (59.7%), but the HP2020 target (83.2%) for broadband access fell short (63.8%). Sex and age were associated with accessing the Internet through a cellular network throughout the years (Wald F test, P <.05). The increase in the percentage of people accessing the Internet through mobile devices presents an opportunity for technology-based health interventions that should be explored.

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