scholarly journals Cancer Caregiving and Health Information Technology: An Analysis of the Health Information National Trends (HINTS) Survey

Author(s):  
Victoria R. Nelson ◽  
Katharine M. Mitchell ◽  
Bree E Holtz

Abstract Purpose: In this paper, we explore how health technology use impacts informal caregivers’ health and how sociodemographic factors are related, using the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS). Methods: Data for this study were obtained from the National Cancer Institutes’ Health Information and National Trends Survey (HINTS 5, Cycle 2, 2018). Participants for the current study were chosen based on their response to one question related to their caregiving status. The sample size was 483 respondents. Variables of interest included caregiver relationship type, general technology use, portal use, and overall health status. Results: The results indicate that there was not a significant difference of caregiving role on portal usage, [F(5,99) = .975, p = .44, η2 = .049], and technology use [F(7, 462)=2.625, p=.01]. This demonstrates that those caregiving for a child are more likely to use technology for health related issues. There was not a significant effect of portal use on caregiver health. However, there was a significant effect of technology use on overall health (t = 2.074, p=.04). There was also a significant effect of demographics on general technology use [F(7, 434)= 14.858, p < .001]. Demonstrating as education and income increases, technology use also increases, and as age increases technology use decreases. Conclusion: This study affirmed that demographic inequalities can negatively impact technology and portal use, which could reduce the burden on caregivers. Therefore, it is important to work to engage cancer patients and their caregivers with technological support and resources.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camella J Rising ◽  
Roxanne E Jensen ◽  
Richard P Moser ◽  
April Oh

BACKGROUND Multiple types of mobile health (mHealth) technologies are available, such as smartphone health apps, fitness trackers, and digital medical devices. However, despite their availability, some individuals do not own, do not realize they own, or own but do not use these technologies. Others may use mHealth devices, but their use varies in tracking health, behaviors, and goals. Examining patterns of mHealth use at the population level can advance our understanding of technology use for health and behavioral tracking. Moreover, investigating sociodemographic and health-related correlates of these patterns can provide direction to researchers about how to target mHealth interventions for diverse audiences. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to identify patterns of mHealth use for health and behavioral tracking in the US adult population and to characterize the population according to those patterns. METHODS We combined data from the 2017 and 2018 National Cancer Institute Health Information National Trends Survey (N=6789) to characterize respondents according to 5 mutually exclusive reported patterns of mHealth use for health and behavioral tracking: (1) mHealth nonowners and nonusers report not owning or using devices to track health, behaviors, or goals; (2) supertrackers track health or behaviors and goals using a smartphone or tablet plus other devices (eg, Fitbit); (3) app trackers use only a smartphone or tablet; (4) device trackers use only nonsmartphone or nontablet devices and do not track goals; and (5) nontrackers report having smartphone or tablet health apps but do not track health, behaviors, or goals. RESULTS Being in the mHealth nonowners and nonusers category (vs all mHealth owners and users) is associated with males, older age, lower income, and not being a health information seeker. Among mHealth owners and users, characteristics of device trackers and supertrackers were most distinctive. Compared with supertrackers, device trackers have higher odds of being male (odds ratio [OR] 2.22, 95% CI 1.55-3.19), older age (vs 18-34 years; 50-64 years: OR 2.83, 95% CI 1.52-5.30; 65+ years: OR 6.28, 95% CI 3.35-11.79), have an annual household income of US $20,000 to US $49,999 (vs US $75,000+: OR 2.31, 95% CI 1.36-3.91), and have a chronic condition (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.14-2.49). Device trackers also have higher odds of not being health information seekers than supertrackers (OR 2.98, 95% CI 1.66-5.33). CONCLUSIONS Findings revealed distinctive sociodemographic and health-related characteristics of the population by pattern of mHealth use, with notable contrasts between those who do and do not use devices to track goals. Several characteristics of individuals who track health or behaviors but not goals (device trackers) are similar to those of mHealth nonowners and nonusers. Our results suggest patterns of mHealth use may inform how to target mHealth interventions to enhance reach and facilitate healthy behaviors.



10.2196/16299 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. e16299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camella J Rising ◽  
Roxanne E Jensen ◽  
Richard P Moser ◽  
April Oh

Background Multiple types of mobile health (mHealth) technologies are available, such as smartphone health apps, fitness trackers, and digital medical devices. However, despite their availability, some individuals do not own, do not realize they own, or own but do not use these technologies. Others may use mHealth devices, but their use varies in tracking health, behaviors, and goals. Examining patterns of mHealth use at the population level can advance our understanding of technology use for health and behavioral tracking. Moreover, investigating sociodemographic and health-related correlates of these patterns can provide direction to researchers about how to target mHealth interventions for diverse audiences. Objective The aim of this study was to identify patterns of mHealth use for health and behavioral tracking in the US adult population and to characterize the population according to those patterns. Methods We combined data from the 2017 and 2018 National Cancer Institute Health Information National Trends Survey (N=6789) to characterize respondents according to 5 mutually exclusive reported patterns of mHealth use for health and behavioral tracking: (1) mHealth nonowners and nonusers report not owning or using devices to track health, behaviors, or goals; (2) supertrackers track health or behaviors and goals using a smartphone or tablet plus other devices (eg, Fitbit); (3) app trackers use only a smartphone or tablet; (4) device trackers use only nonsmartphone or nontablet devices and do not track goals; and (5) nontrackers report having smartphone or tablet health apps but do not track health, behaviors, or goals. Results Being in the mHealth nonowners and nonusers category (vs all mHealth owners and users) is associated with males, older age, lower income, and not being a health information seeker. Among mHealth owners and users, characteristics of device trackers and supertrackers were most distinctive. Compared with supertrackers, device trackers have higher odds of being male (odds ratio [OR] 2.22, 95% CI 1.55-3.19), older age (vs 18-34 years; 50-64 years: OR 2.83, 95% CI 1.52-5.30; 65+ years: OR 6.28, 95% CI 3.35-11.79), have an annual household income of US $20,000 to US $49,999 (vs US $75,000+: OR 2.31, 95% CI 1.36-3.91), and have a chronic condition (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.14-2.49). Device trackers also have higher odds of not being health information seekers than supertrackers (OR 2.98, 95% CI 1.66-5.33). Conclusions Findings revealed distinctive sociodemographic and health-related characteristics of the population by pattern of mHealth use, with notable contrasts between those who do and do not use devices to track goals. Several characteristics of individuals who track health or behaviors but not goals (device trackers) are similar to those of mHealth nonowners and nonusers. Our results suggest patterns of mHealth use may inform how to target mHealth interventions to enhance reach and facilitate healthy behaviors.



10.2196/14826 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. e14826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fuzhi Wang ◽  
Zhuoxin Wang ◽  
Weiwei Sun ◽  
Xiumu Yang ◽  
Zhiwei Bian ◽  
...  

Background As representatives of health information communication platforms accessed through mobile phones and mobile terminals, health-related WeChat public accounts (HWPAs) have a large consumer base in the Chinese-speaking world. However, there is still a lack of general understanding of the status quo of HWPAs and the quality of the articles they release. Objective The aims of this study were to assess the conformity of HWPAs to the Health on the Net Foundation Code of Conduct (HONcode) and to evaluate the suitability of articles disseminated by HWPAs. Methods The survey was conducted from April 23 to May 5, 2019. Based on the monthly (March 1-31, 2019) WeChat Index provided by Qingbo Big Data, the top 100 HWPAs were examined to evaluate their HONcode compliance. The first four articles published by each HWPA on the survey dates were selected as samples to evaluate their suitability. All materials were assessed by three raters. The materials were assessed using the HONcode checklist and the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) score sheet. Data analysis was performed with SPSS version 17.0 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL, USA) and Excel version 2013 (Microsoft Inc, Washington DC, USA). Results A total of 93 HWPAs and 210 of their released articles were included in this study. For six of the eight principles, the 93 HWPAs nearly consistently did not meet the requirements of the HONcode. The HWPAs certified by Tencent Corporation (66/93, 71%) were generally slightly superior to those without such certification (27/93, 29%) in terms of compliance with HONcode principles. The mean SAM score for the 210 articles was 67.72 (SD 10.930), which indicated “adequate” suitability. There was no significant difference between the SAM scores of the articles published by certified and uncertified HWPAs (P=.07), except in the literacy requirements dimension (tdf=97=–2.418, P=.02). Conclusions The HWPAs had low HONcode conformity. Although the suitability of health information released by HWPAs was at a moderate level, there were still problems identified, such as difficulty in tracing information sources, excessive implicit advertisements, and irregular usage of charts. In addition, the low approval requirements of HWPAs were not conducive to improvement of their service quality.



2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Ariella R. Korn ◽  
Kelly D. Blake ◽  
Heather D’Angelo ◽  
Jill Reedy ◽  
April Oh

Abstract Objective: To describe US adults’ levels of support, neutrality, and opposition to restricting junk food advertising to children on social media and explore associations with sociodemographic and health-related characteristics. Design: In 2020-2021, we used cross-sectional data from the National Cancer Institute’s 2020 Health Information National Trends Survey to estimate the prevalence of opinions toward advertising restrictions, and correlates of neutrality and opposition using weighted multivariable logistic regression. Setting: United States. Participants: Adults aged 18+ years. Results: Among the analytic sample (n=2852), 54% of adults were neutral or opposed to junk food advertising restrictions on social media. The odds of being neutral or opposed were higher among Non-Hispanic Black adults (vs non-Hispanic White; OR: 2.03 (95% CI: 1.26, 3.26)); those completing some college (OR: 1.68 (95% CI: 1.20, 2.34)) or high school or less (OR: 2.62 (95% CI: 1.74, 3.96)) (vs those with a college degree); those who were overweight (vs normal weight; OR: 1.42 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.93)); and those reporting a moderate (OR: 1.45 (95% CI: 1.13, 1.88)) or conservative (OR: 1.71 (95% CI: 1.24, 2.35)) political viewpoint (vs liberal). Having strong (vs weaker) weight and diet-related cancer beliefs was associated with 53% lower odds of being neutral or opposed to advertising restrictions (OR: 0.47 (95% CI: 0.36, 0.61)). Conclusions: This study identified subgroups of US adults for whom targeted communication strategies may increase support for policies to improve children’s food environment.



2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uchenna Nwokeji ◽  
Erin M. Spaulding ◽  
Rongzi Shan ◽  
Ruth-Alma Turkson-Ocran ◽  
Diana Baptiste ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Health-Information Technologies (HIT) have recently emerged as a viable intervention to mitigate the burden of ASCVD. At least 60% of United States (US) adults report searching the internet for health information; however, previous research has not examined the prevalence of general technology or HIT use between adults with and without ASCVD. In addition, social determinants in HIT use among adults with ASCVD are not well understood. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prevalence and social determinants of HIT use among U.S. adults with vs without self-reported ASCVD. METHODS We pooled cross-sectional data from the 2011-2018 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to examine general technology and HIT use between adults aged ≥18 years with and without self-reported ASCVD (coronary heart disease and/or stroke). General technology use was defined as mobile phone ownership, Internet use, and computer use. HIT use was defined as looking up health information on the Internet, filling a prescription online, scheduling a medical appointment on the Internet, communicating with a healthcare provider by email, or using online group chats to learn about health topics. We evaluated sociodemographic differences in HIT use among respondents using Poisson regression. Analyses were weighted according to NHIS standards. RESULTS A total sample of N=256,534 individuals were included, 2,194 (0.9%) reported prior ASCVD. Among adults with prior ASCVD, the mean (±SD) age was 70.6 (11.5) years, and 47% were female. General technology use differed between participants with and without prior ASCVD, with 36% (657/1,826) and 76% (162,500/213,816) indicating internet usage and 25% (394/1,575) and 61% (112,580/184,557) indicating using a computer every day, respectively. Similarly, adults with ASCVD were less likely to use HIT use than those without ASCVD (25% vs. 51%, p<0.001). Among adults with prior ASCVD, social determinants that were associated with HIT use included younger age, higher education, higher income, being employed, and being married. CONCLUSIONS HIT use was low among adults with a history of ASCVD, which may represent a barrier to delivering care via emerging HIT. Given the associations with social determinants such as income, education and employment, targeted strategies and policies are needed to eliminate barriers to impact HIT usage. CLINICALTRIAL N/A



2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Britta Müller ◽  
Peter Kropp ◽  
Maria Isabel Cardona ◽  
Bernhard Michalowsky ◽  
Nanja van den Berg ◽  
...  

Abstract Background To (a) describe the pattern of leisure time physical activities (LTPA) in community-dwelling persons who have been screened positive for dementia and (b) determine the health-related and sociodemographic factors associated with LTPA. Methods Data of the general practitioner-based, randomized, controlled intervention trial, DelpHi-MV (Dementia: life- and person-centered help in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) were used. Patients aged 70 years or older, who lived at home and had a DemTect< 9 were informed about the study by their General practitioners and invited to participate. Data from 436 participants with complete baseline data were used. Standardized, computer-assisted assessments were made during face-to-face interviews at the participants’ homes. Results Two hundred thirty-eight patients (54.6%) carried out LTPA (men 58.4%, women 51.8%). Physically active patients mentioned one to two different activities; diversity of LTPA was higher for men than for women. The most-frequently mentioned types of activity were gardening (35.3%), cycling (24.1%) and mobility training (12.4%); there was only a statistically significant difference between men and women in cycling, χ2(1) = 21.47, p < .001. The odds of LTPA increased with increasing quality of life (OR = 2.41), lower impairments in activities of daily living (OR = 0.85), and living in a rural environment (OR = 2.02). Conclusions Our findings suggest that people who have been screened positive for dementia living in a rural area are more likely to be active than people living in an urban area. Following studies should investigate whether this difference has an effect on the progression of dementia. Trial registration ClinicalTrial.gov Identifier NCT01401582.



Author(s):  
Rose Calixte ◽  
Argelis Rivera ◽  
Olutobi Oridota ◽  
William Beauchamp ◽  
Marlene Camacho-Rivera

National surveys of U.S. adults have observed significant increases in health-related internet use (HRIU), but there are documented disparities. The study aims to identify social and demographic patterns of health-related internet use among U.S. adults. Using data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 4 cycle 3 and HINTS 5 cycle 1, we examined HRIU across healthcare, health information seeking, and participation on social media. Primary predictors were gender, race/ethnicity, age, education, income, and nativity with adjustments for smoking and survey year. We used multivariable logistic regression with survey weights to identify independent predictors of HRIU. Of the 4817 respondents, 43% had used the internet to find a doctor; 80% had looked online for health information. Only 20% had used social media for a health issue; 7% participated in an online health support group. In multivariable models, older and low SES participants were significantly less likely to use the internet to look for a provider, use the internet to look for health information for themselves or someone else, and less likely to use social media for health issues. Use of the internet for health-related purposes is vast but varies significantly by demographics and intended use.



2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fuzhi Wang ◽  
Zhuoxin Wang ◽  
Weiwei Sun ◽  
Xiumu Yang ◽  
Zhiwei Bian ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND As representatives of health information communication platforms accessed through mobile phones and mobile terminals, health-related WeChat public accounts (HWPAs) have a large consumer base in the Chinese-speaking world. However, there is still a lack of general understanding of the status quo of HWPAs and the quality of the articles they release. OBJECTIVE The aims of this study were to assess the conformity of HWPAs to the Health on the Net Foundation Code of Conduct (HONcode) and to evaluate the suitability of articles disseminated by HWPAs. METHODS The survey was conducted from April 23 to May 5, 2019. Based on the monthly (March 1-31, 2019) WeChat Index provided by Qingbo Big Data, the top 100 HWPAs were examined to evaluate their HONcode compliance. The first four articles published by each HWPA on the survey dates were selected as samples to evaluate their suitability. All materials were assessed by three raters. The materials were assessed using the HONcode checklist and the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) score sheet. Data analysis was performed with SPSS version 17.0 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL, USA) and Excel version 2013 (Microsoft Inc, Washington DC, USA). RESULTS A total of 93 HWPAs and 210 of their released articles were included in this study. For six of the eight principles, the 93 HWPAs nearly consistently did not meet the requirements of the HONcode. The HWPAs certified by Tencent Corporation (66/93, 71%) were generally slightly superior to those without such certification (27/93, 29%) in terms of compliance with HONcode principles. The mean SAM score for the 210 articles was 67.72 (SD 10.930), which indicated “adequate” suitability. There was no significant difference between the SAM scores of the articles published by certified and uncertified HWPAs (<i>P</i>=.07), except in the literacy requirements dimension (t<sub>df=97</sub>=–2.418, <i>P</i>=.02). CONCLUSIONS The HWPAs had low HONcode conformity. Although the suitability of health information released by HWPAs was at a moderate level, there were still problems identified, such as difficulty in tracing information sources, excessive implicit advertisements, and irregular usage of charts. In addition, the low approval requirements of HWPAs were not conducive to improvement of their service quality.



2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joyce Balls-Berry ◽  
Emily Valentin-Méndez ◽  
Ian Marigi ◽  
Liaa Ferede ◽  
Numra Bajwa ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND More and more, people are using internet resources, such as YouTube, as a primary source of health-related information. While evidence exists of how this behavior affects the patient-physician relationship and the clinician perspective, it is still uncertain how it affects patient engagement in research. OBJECTIVE The aims of this study were to (1) determine if an association exists between watching health-related YouTube videos and being interested in patient engagement in research and (2) explore if any associations exist between sociodemographic characteristics, health-related YouTube use, and interest in patient engagement in research. METHODS We analyzed data from the 2013 Health Information National Trends Survey (n = 3039). Our independent variable of interest was whether individuals had watched health-related videos in the las 12 months; our dependent variable of interest was whether respondents were interested in patient engagement in research. Analysis included bivariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression modeling between sociodemographic characteristics, YouTube viewing, and being interested in patient engagement in research. RESULTS Interest in patient engagement in research was significantly associated with watching a health-related video on YouTube, after adjustment for relevant covariates. Individuals who watched a health-related video on YouTube, had a 2.11-fold increased odds ratio of being interested in patient engagement in research, compared to those who did not watch health-related videos (OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.40, 3.18, P <.001). We did not find any statistically significant associations between being interested in patient engagement in research and gender, age, race/ethnicity, or education. CONCLUSIONS YouTube has the potential to be used as a tool to increase interest in patient engagement in research. Future studies could use YouTube to evaluate its effectivity promoting participation in research of underrepresented communities.



Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document