Florida Atlantic University - Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
Phyllis F. Cantor Center, Research in Nursing and Patient Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2022 Feb;9(1):82-92. doi: 10.1007/s40615-020-00931-3. Epub 2021 Jan 7.
Important health information including disease prevention and chronic disease self-management is increasingly packaged for digital use. The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to describe the extent of computer ownership, Internet access, and digital health information use in an ethnically diverse sample of older adults, comparing ownership, access, and use of digital health information (DHI) across ethnic groups and identifying the factors associated with them quantitatively. Significant differences in computer ownership, Internet access, and DHI use were found across ethnic groups (African American, Afro-Caribbean, Hispanic American, and European American). Logistic regression identified older age, less education, lower income, and minority group membership as significant predictors of limited DHI use. Older African Americans were one-fifth as likely to own a computer than were European Americans; Hispanic Americans were one-half as likely to have access to the Internet. We then conducted a series of focus groups which highlighted differences across ethnic groups. Participants in the African American/Afro-Caribbean group expressed frustration with lack of access to DHI but appreciation for alternative sources of information. Hispanic Americans critiqued information received from providers and drug inserts, some suggesting that a positive attitude and trust in God also contributed to getting well. European American participants evaluated various DHI websites, looking to providers for help in applying information to their personal situation. As the development and use of DHI continue, parallel efforts to increase access to DHI among economically disadvantaged and minority older adults are critical to prevent further disfranchisement.
越来越多的重要健康信息，包括疾病预防和慢性病自我管理信息，都被打包成适合数字使用的形式。本顺序解释性混合方法研究的目的是描述不同种族的老年人拥有电脑、上网和使用数字健康信息的程度，比较不同种族群体之间数字健康信息（DHI）的拥有、使用情况，并从数量上确定与之相关的因素。不同种族群体之间在电脑拥有、上网和 DHI 使用方面存在显著差异（非裔美国人、非裔加勒比裔美国人、西班牙裔美国人和欧洲裔美国人）。逻辑回归确定了年龄较大、教育程度较低、收入较低和少数民族群体成员身份是 DHI 使用受限的重要预测因素。年龄较大的非裔美国人拥有电脑的可能性比欧洲裔美国人低五分之一；西班牙裔美国人上网的可能性只有一半。然后我们进行了一系列焦点小组讨论，强调了不同种族群体之间的差异。非裔美国人和非裔加勒比裔群体的参与者对无法获得 DHI 感到沮丧，但对替代信息来源表示赞赏。西班牙裔美国人批评了从提供者那里获得的信息和药品插页，有些人表示积极的态度和对上帝的信任也有助于康复。欧洲裔美国参与者评估了各种 DHI 网站，希望提供者在将信息应用于个人情况方面提供帮助。随着 DHI 的不断发展和使用，为经济困难和少数族裔老年人增加获得 DHI 的机会是至关重要的，以防止进一步的剥夺权利。
