Larnyo Ebenezer, Tettegah Sharon, Nutakor Jonathan Aseye, Addai-Dansoh Stephen, Arboh Francisca
Center for Black Studies Research, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States.
College of Creative Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States.
Front Public Health. 2025 May 28;13:1547189. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1547189. eCollection 2025.
Healthcare disparities remain a significant challenge in addressing equitable healthcare access and outcomes for minority populations, including African Americans. Rooted in systemic racism and historical exclusion, these inequities persist as part of broader structural violence. Leveraging health technology holds promise in addressing these disparities by enhancing access to care, improving its quality, and reducing inequities. However, the association between health technology access, use, socioeconomic status (SES), and healthcare disparities among African Americans remains underexplored. This study aims to explore the potential role of technology in mitigating healthcare disparities by investigating the associations between technology access, healthcare technology use, socioeconomic status (SES), and health disparities among African Americans.
Using data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) Wave 6 dataset, a sample of 815 African Americans was analyzed using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).
The results of the study showed that technology access had a significant positive effect on healthcare technology use ( = 0.260, < 0.000). Technology access ( = -0.086, = 0.034) and healthcare technology use ( = -0.180, < 0.001) demonstrated a significant negative effect on healthcare disparity, respectively. Results also revealed SES had a significant positive effect on technology access ( = 0.424, < 0.001). Additionally, SES was found to significantly moderate the relationship between technology access and healthcare disparities, indicating variability in the impact of technology access based on SES levels among African Americans.
These findings highlight the potential of technology in mitigating healthcare disparities among African Americans. By promoting enhanced health technology access and utilization, particularly in lower SES populations, the healthcare outcomes for vulnerable communities can be significantly improved. Policymakers, healthcare providers, and technology developers are encouraged to collaborate in providing conducive conditions for the adoption and use of technology to advance healthcare equity.
医疗保健差异仍然是为包括非裔美国人在内的少数族裔提供公平的医疗保健服务和实现公平结果方面的一项重大挑战。这些不平等现象源于系统性种族主义和历史上的排斥，作为更广泛的结构性暴力的一部分持续存在。利用健康技术有望通过增加医疗服务可及性、提高其质量和减少不平等来解决这些差异。然而，非裔美国人在健康技术获取、使用、社会经济地位（SES）与医疗保健差异之间的关联仍未得到充分探索。本研究旨在通过调查技术获取、医疗保健技术使用、社会经济地位（SES）与非裔美国人健康差异之间的关联，探索技术在减轻医疗保健差异方面的潜在作用。
使用来自健康信息国家趋势调查（HINTS）第6波数据集的数据，采用偏最小二乘结构方程模型（PLS-SEM）对815名非裔美国人的样本进行了分析。
研究结果表明，技术获取对医疗保健技术使用有显著的正向影响（β = 0.260，p < 0.000）。技术获取（β = -0.086，p = 0.034）和医疗保健技术使用（β = -0.180，p < 0.001）分别对医疗保健差异有显著的负向影响。结果还显示，SES对技术获取有显著的正向影响（β = 0.424，p < 0.001）。此外，发现SES显著调节技术获取与医疗保健差异之间的关系，表明基于非裔美国人SES水平的技术获取影响存在差异。
这些发现凸显了技术在减轻非裔美国人医疗保健差异方面的潜力。通过促进增强健康技术获取和利用，特别是在社会经济地位较低的人群中，弱势社区的医疗保健结果可得到显著改善。鼓励政策制定者、医疗保健提供者和技术开发者合作，为采用和使用技术创造有利条件，以推进医疗保健公平。
