Access Across the Digital Divide for Intersectional Groups Seeking Online Health Information: A National Survey (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina Medero ◽  
Kelly Merrill Jr. ◽  
Morgan Quinn Ross
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
Home Computer ◽  
Black African ◽  
Mobile Access ◽  
Health Need

BACKGROUND The digital divide refers to technological disparities based on demographic characteristics (e.g., race and ethnicity). Specifically, the lack of physical access to the Internet inhibits online health information seeking (OHIS) and exacerbates health disparities. Digital divide literature has adopted a multi-dimensional conceptualization of access by examining device and context of use, whereas OHIS literature has explored how intersectional identities influence OHIS. We combine these perspectives to explicate how unique context-device pairings operate differently across intersectional identities – particularly racial and ethnic groups – in the domain of OHIS. OBJECTIVE This study examines how different types of internet access relate to OHIS for different racial and ethnic groups. We investigate relationships between predisposing characteristics (i.e., age, sex, education, income), internet access (home-computer, public-computer, work-computer, and mobile), health need, and OHIS. METHODS Using data from the 2019 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), participant responses (N = 5,247) were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) of a theoretical model of OHIS to explicate the roles of internet access and health need for racial and ethnic minority groups’ OHIS. Three separate group SEM models were specified based on Black/African American, Latino/a/x or Hispanic, and White self-categorizations. RESULTS In general, predisposing characteristics (i.e., age, sex, education, income) were associated with internet access, health need, and OHIS, internet access was associated with OHIS, and health need was associated with OHIS. In exploring our research questions, we disaggregated internet access and found that home-computer and mobile access were most consistently associated with OHIS. When disaggregating by racial and ethnic minority groups, we found several notable linkages between predisposing characteristics and internet access that differed for Black/African American and Latino/a/x or Hispanic individuals. Older racial and ethnic minorities tended to access the Internet on home and public computers less frequently, home-computer access was a stronger predictor of OHIS for White individuals, and mobile access was a stronger predictor of OHIS for non-White individuals. CONCLUSIONS Our findings necessitate a deeper unpacking of how physical internet access, the foundational and multifaceted level of the digital divide, impacts specific racial and ethnic groups and their OHIS. We find support for prior work on the digital divide, but also surface new insights, including distinct impacts of context-device pairings for OHIS and several relationships that differ between racial and ethnic groups. As such, we propose interventions with an intersectional approach to access to ameliorate the impact of the digital divide.

Digital Government and the Digital Divide

2008 ◽  
pp. 125-138
Author(s):  
Richard Groper
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
The United States ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
American People ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Race 1 ◽  
Racial Divide

There seems to be a consensus among scholars and pundits that the lack of access to the Internet among African-Americans and Latinos has created a digital divide in the United States. The digital divide has negatively affected the ability of minority groups to accumulate social capital . This study compares Internet access rates in California and the United States in order to test the premise that race is the primary influence upon Internet access. In California, the data explicitly depicts a stronger relationship between Internet access and education and income than it does with Internet access and race.1 Across the United States, the results are not as stark. However, education and income are increasingly becoming important variables. The policy implications of this study are dramatic . Since most governmental and non-profit efforts in the United States have put resources and money into decreasing the racial divide, this study suggests that at least some of those resources should be shifted to alleviating the educational and economic discrepancies that exist among the American people.

Digital Government and the Digital Divide

2011 ◽  
pp. 291-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Groper
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
The United States ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
American People ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Race 1 ◽  
Racial Divide

There seems to be a consensus among scholars and pundits that the lack of access to the Internet among African-Americans and Latinos has created a digital divide in the United States. The digital divide has negatively affected the ability of minority groups to accumulate social capital . This study compares Internet access rates in California and the United States in order to test the premise that race is the primary influence upon Internet access. In California, the data explicitly depicts a stronger relationship between Internet access and education and income than it does with Internet access and race.1 Across the United States, the results are not as stark. However, education and income are increasingly becoming important variables. The policy implications of this study are dramatic . Since most governmental and non-profit efforts in the United States have put resources and money into decreasing the racial divide, this study suggests that at least some of those resources should be shifted to alleviating the educational and economic discrepancies that exist among the American people.

Race and the Digital Divide

2004 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert W Fairlie
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Mexican Americans ◽  
Mexican American ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
The United States ◽  
Home Computer ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Underlying Causes ◽  
School Differences

Abstract In recent years, a plethora of public and private programs in the United States have been created to close the "Digital Divide." Interestingly, however, we know very little about the underlying causes of racial differences in rates of computer and Internet access. In this paper, I use data from the Computer and Internet Use Supplement to the August 2000 Current Population Survey (CPS) to explore this question. Estimates from the CPS indicate that Mexican-Americans are roughly one-half as likely to own a computer and one-third as likely to have Internet access at home as whites. The black home computer rate is 59 percent of the white rate and the black home Internet access rate is 51 percent of the white rate. Using Blinder-Oaxaca decompositions, I find that racial differences in education, income and occupation contribute substantially to the black/white and Mexican-American/white gaps in home computer and Internet access rates. The digital divide between races, however, is not simply an "income divide" as income differences explain only 10 to 30 percent of the gaps in access to technology. I do not find evidence that price or school differences are responsible for the remaining gaps. I find some evidence, however, that language barriers may be important in explaining low rates of computer and Internet access among Mexican-Americans.

Free Internet Access, the Digital Divide, and Health Information

Medical Care ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 415-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd H. Wagner ◽  
M Kate Bundorf ◽  
Sara J. Singer ◽  
Laurence C. Baker
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Internet Access

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

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra J Greenberg-Worisek ◽  
Shaheen Kurani ◽  
Lila J Finney Rutten ◽  
Kelly D Blake ◽  
Richard P Moser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Cellular Network ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
Healthy People ◽  
Broadband Access ◽  
Healthy People 2020 ◽  
National Trends ◽  
Over Time

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.

scholarly journals The digital divide: Examining socio-demographic factors associated with health literacy, access and use of internet to seek health information

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (12) ◽  
pp. 1668-1675 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emee Vida Estacio ◽  
Rebecca Whittle ◽  
Joanne Protheroe
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Literacy Survey ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Socio Demographic Factors ◽  
Use Of Internet

This article aims to examine the socio-demographic characteristics associated with access and use of Internet for health-related purposes and its relationship with health literacy. Data were drawn from a health literacy survey ( N = 1046) and analysed using logistic regression. Results show a strong association between health literacy, internet access and use. Socio-demographic characteristics particularly age, education, income, perceived health and social isolation also predict internet access. Thus, in addition to widening access, the movement towards digitisation of health information and services should also consider digital skills development to enable people to utilise digital technology more effectively, especially among traditionally hard-to-reach communities.

scholarly journals Ethnic differences in risk of severe Covid-19: To what extent are they driven by exposure?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhiannon Edge ◽  
Diana A van der Plaat ◽  
Vaughan Parsons ◽  
David Coggon ◽  
Martie van Tongeren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Sickness Absence ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Ethnic Differences ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Ethnic Minority Groups ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Black African ◽  
White Ethnicity ◽  
Pandemic Wave

Abstract Background This study quantifies the risk of Covid-19 among ethnic groups of healthcare staff during the first pandemic wave in England. Methods We analysed data on 959 356 employees employed by 191 National Health Service trusts during 1 January 2019 to 31 July 2020, comparing rates of Covid-19 sickness absence in different ethnic groups. Results In comparison with White ethnic groups, the risk of short-duration Covid-19 sickness absence was modestly elevated in South Asian but not Black groups. However, all Black and ethnic minority groups were at higher risk of prolonged Covid-19 sickness absence. Odds ratios (ORs) relative to White ethnicity were more than doubled in South Asian groups (Indian OR 2.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.36–2.63; Pakistani OR 2.38, 2.15–2.64; Bangladeshi OR 2.38, 1.98–2.86), while that for Black African ethnicity was 1.82 (1.71–1.93). In nursing/midwifery staff, the association of ethnicity with prolonged Covid-19 sickness absence was strong; the odds of South Asian nurses/midwives having a prolonged episode of Covid-19 sickness absence were increased 3-fold (OR 3.05, 2.82–3.30). Conclusions Residual differences in risk of short term Covid-19 sickness absences among ethnic groups may reflect differences in non-occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Our results indicate ethnic differences in vulnerability to Covid-19, which may be only partly explained by medical comorbidities.

The Digital Divide and K-12 Student Computer Use

10.28945/2926 ◽  
2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
James N. Morgan ◽  
Craig A. VanLengen
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Computer Use ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Limited Basis ◽  
K 12 ◽  
The Impact

The divide between those who have computer and Internet access and those who do not appears to be narrowing, however overall statistics may be misleading. Measures of computer availability in schools often include cases where computers are only available for administration or are available only on a very limited basis (Gootman, 2004). Access to a computer and the Internet outside of school helps to reinforce student learning and emphasize the importance of using technology. Recent U.S. statistics indicate that ethnic background and other demographic characteristics still have substantial impact on the availability and use of computers by students outside of the classroom. This paper examines recent census data to determine the impact of the household on student computer use outside of the classroom. Encouragingly, the findings of this study suggest that use of a computer at school substantially increases the chance that a student will use a computer outside of class. Additionally, this study suggests that computer use outside of the classroom is positively and significantly impacted by being in a household with adults who either use a computer at work or work in an industry where computers are extensively used.

scholarly journals Ethnic Disparities in the Development of Sight-Threatening Diabetic Retinopathy in a UK Multi-Ethnic Population with Diabetes: An Observational Cohort Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 740
Author(s):  
Manjula D. Nugawela ◽  
Sarega Gurudas ◽  
Andrew Toby Prevost ◽  
Rohini Mathur ◽  
John Robson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Ethnic Differences ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Ethnic Disparities ◽  
Ethnic Minority Groups ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Observational Cohort ◽  
General Practices

There is little data on ethnic differences in incidence of DR and sight threatening DR (STDR) in the United Kingdom. We aimed to determine ethnic differences in the development of DR and STDR and to identify risk factors of DR and STDR in people with incident or prevalent type II diabetes (T2DM). We used electronic primary care medical records of people registered with 134 general practices in East London during the period from January 2007–January 2017. There were 58,216 people with T2DM eligible to be included in the study. Among people with newly diagnosed T2DM, Indian, Pakistani and African ethnic groups showed an increased risk of DR with Africans having highest risk of STDR compared to White ethnic groups (HR: 1.36 95% CI 1.02–1.83). Among those with prevalent T2DM, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Caribbean ethnic groups showed increased risk of DR and STDR with Indian having the highest risk of any DR (HR: 1.24 95% CI 1.16–1.32) and STDR (HR: 1.38 95% CI 1.17–1.63) compared with Whites after adjusting for all covariates considered. It is important to optimise prevention, screening and treatment options in these ethnic minority groups to avoid health inequalities in diabetes eye care.

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