1. Mobile Phone Ownership, Health Apps, and Tablet Use in US Adults With a Self-Reported History of Hypertension: Cross-Sectional Study
- Author
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Azizi Seixas, Craig A. Solid, Aisha T. Langford, Stephen Williams, Ebony Scott, Eli Maayan, and Meeki Lad
- Subjects
Gerontology ,Adult ,Male ,Telemedicine ,cell phone ,hypertension ,Psychological intervention ,ownership ,Health Informatics ,Information technology ,smartphone ,Health care ,Medicine ,Humans ,text messaging ,health communication ,goals ,mHealth ,Health communication ,Aged ,Original Paper ,Chi-Square Distribution ,business.industry ,tablets ,Middle Aged ,T58.5-58.64 ,United States ,Health Information National Trends Survey ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Socioeconomic Factors ,Mobile phone ,Computers, Handheld ,Female ,Self Report ,telemedicine ,Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 ,business ,Mobile device ,chronic disease - Abstract
BackgroundMobile phone and tablet ownership have increased in the United States over the last decade, contributing to the growing use of mobile health (mHealth) interventions to help patients manage chronic health conditions like diabetes. However, few studies have characterized mobile device ownership and the presence of health-related apps on mobile devices in people with a self-reported history of hypertension. ObjectiveThis study aimed to describe the prevalence of smartphone, tablet, and basic mobile phone ownership and the presence of health apps by sociodemographic factors and self-reported hypertension status (ie, history) in a nationally representative sample of US adults, and to describe whether mobile devices are associated with health goal achievement, medical decision making, and patient-provider communication. MethodsData from 3285 respondents from the 2017 Health Information National Trends Survey were analyzed. Participants were asked if they owned a smartphone, tablet, or basic mobile phone and if they had health apps on a smartphone or tablet. Participants were also asked if their smartphones or tablets helped them achieve a health-related goal like losing weight, make a decision about how to treat an illness, or talk with their health care providers. Chi-square analyses were conducted to test for differences in mobile device ownership, health app presence, and app helpfulness by patient characteristics. ResultsApproximately 1460 (37.6% weighted prevalence) participants reported a history of hypertension. Tablet and smartphone ownership were lower in participants with a history of hypertension than in those without a history of hypertension (55% vs 66%, P=.001, and 86% vs 68%, P
- Published
- 2018