Internet use and need for digital health technology among the elderly: a cross-sectional survey in China.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Sun X
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7488462 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Internet use and need for digital health technology among the elderly: a cross-sectional survey in China.
Sun Xinran X Yan Wenxin W Zhou Hao H Wang Zhaoqing Z Zhang Xueying X Huang Shuang S Li Li L
BMC public health 20200911 1
<h4>Background</h4>China is becoming an aging society at the fastest pace in history, and there are a large number of empty nesters in the country. With economic and social development, internal support systems among families are gradually weakening. Supporting the elderly is thus emerging as a significant issue, and promoting digital health technologies is an effective way to help address it. Encouraging the application of Internet to elderly care and Internet use among the elderly are importan ...[more]
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Project description:BACKGROUND:Hypertension is a rapidly growing epidemic in China. Yet, it remains inadequately controlled, especially in rural areas. The internet has shown potential for better health management in different settings; however, few studies have investigated its role in hypertension management in China. OBJECTIVE:This study aims to examine the association between internet access and hypertension awareness, treatment, and control among elderly Chinese adults and to investigate whether the association between internet access and hypertension management differed between those living in urban and rural areas. METHODS:We obtained data from the nationally representative survey of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study in 2011. Hypertension was defined as (1) average systolic blood pressure of ≥140 mm Hg or average diastolic blood pressure of ≥90 mm Hg or (2) currently taking antihypertensive medications. The outcome assessed included hypertension awareness, treatment, and control. The key independent variable was defined as whether one had internet access at home. We performed multivariate logistic regressions for each of the 3 outcomes. RESULTS:Among 5135 hypertensive respondents (age 62.4 [SD 9.9] years; 2351/5135, 45.78% men), 12.89% (662/5135) had internet access at home. Compared with those who had no internet access, internet access was positively associated with hypertension awareness (odds ratio [OR] 1.36, 95% CI 1.07-1.73) and treatment (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.09-1.75), but not with control (OR 1.19, 95% CI 0.90-1.58). Internet access reduced urban-rural disparity in hypertension awareness by 9.6% (P=.02), treatment by 8.3% (P=.05), but not in control. In addition, the moderating effect of internet access on urban-rural disparities in hypertension management was larger among females. The decreased urban-rural disparities were primarily driven by that internet access improved the management level in rural areas. CONCLUSIONS:Despite the low rate of internet access among the elderly population, the internet shows its potential as a platform for achieving better hypertension management in China. Strategies for reducing the disparities in hypertension management and overall disease burden of hypertension among the elderly population might consider the internet as a platform.
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Project description:BACKGROUND:Problematic internet use (PIU) is associated with mental health concerns such as depression and affects more than 12% of young adults. Few studies have explored potential influences of parent-college student digital communication on college students' risk of PIU. OBJECTIVE:This study sought to understand the relationship between parent-college student digital communication frequency via phone calls, text messages, and Facebook contacts and PIU among college students. METHODS:Incoming first-year students were randomly selected from registrar lists of a midwestern and northwestern university for a 5-year longitudinal study. Data from interviews conducted in summer 2014 were used. Measures included participants' daily Facebook visits, communication frequency with parents via phone call and text message, and 3 variables related to Facebook connection status and communication: (1) parent-college student Facebook friendship status, (2) college student blocking personal Facebook content from parent, and (3) Facebook communication frequency. PIU risk was assessed using the Problematic and Risky Internet Use Screening Scale. Analysis included participants who reported visiting Facebook at least once per day. Multiple linear regression was used, followed by a post hoc mediation with Hayes process macro to further investigate predictive relationships among significant variables. RESULTS:A total of 151 participants reported daily Facebook use and were included in analyses. Among these participants, 59.6% (90/151) were female, 62.3% (94/151) were from the midwestern university, and 78.8% (119/151) were white. Mean Facebook visits per day was 4.3 (SD 3.34). There was a collective significant effect between participant daily Facebook visits, college student-parent phone calls, texts, and all 3 Facebook connection variables (F6,144=2.60, P=.02, R2=.10). Phone calls, text messages, and Facebook contacts were not associated with PIU risk. However, two individual items were significant predictors for PIU: participant daily Facebook visits were positively associated with increased PIU risk (b=0.04, P=.006) and being friends with a parent on Facebook was negatively associated with PIU risk (b=-0.66, P=.008). Participant daily Facebook visits were not a significant mediator of the relationship between college student-parent Facebook friendship and PIU risk (b=-0.04; 95% CI -0.11 to 0.04). CONCLUSIONS:This study did not find support for a relationship between parent-college student digital communication frequency and PIU among college students. Instead, results suggested Facebook friendship may be a protective factor. Future studies should examine how a parent-child Facebook friendship might protect against PIU among children at varying developmental stages.
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Project description: Not available
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Project description:IntroductionDepression has become one of the most prevalent mental illnesses affecting the elderly in aging countries, i. e., in countries of the world whose population is slowly aging. It has become an important topic for scientists and policymakers to analyze how best to improve the elderly's mental health and save them from depression. The aim of this paper was to investigate whether and to what extent internet use may affect depression in the elderly. The heterogeneous effects of internet use on the elderly's depression across age, gender, and occupation were also investigated.MethodsThe data used in the present study were gathered from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study that was conducted in 2018. The propensity score matching technique and the endogenous switch regression model were employed in this study to address potential endogeneity caused by both observed and unobserved factors.ResultsThe results of the present study show that the elderly who are relatively young, male, well educated, live in an urban area, or have a small family are more likely to use the internet. The elderly who have healthy eyes or good eyesight, those who are not employed in the agricultural sector, or those who are retired, and those who are not eligible to receive any subsistence allowance or drink wine have a higher probability of using the internet. We also find that internet use significantly reduces the elderly's depression status by 3.370 points, which is roughly equivalent to a reduction of 37.19%. Heterogeneity analysis on internet use reveals that the health effect is particularly effective for agricultural workers, female, or the older elderly.ConclusionThe results of the present study highlight the significant welfare effects brought about by the development of internet infrastructure. To improve the mental health of the elderly, the government should encourage them to adopt the internet. In particular, the needs of the elderly who are older, female, or have agricultural work should be paid more attention to motivate them to use the internet more to alleviate depression.
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Project description:BackgroundThe Cracks in the Ice (CITI) community toolkit was developed to provide evidence-based, up-to-date information and resources about crystal methamphetamine to Australians. Given the high rates of internet use in the community and the potential for misinformation, CITI has the potential to play an important role in improving knowledge and challenging misconceptions surrounding crystal methamphetamine.ObjectiveThis study aims to determine (1) whether the CITI toolkit is achieving its aim of disseminating evidence-based information and resources to people who use crystal methamphetamine, their family and friends, health professionals, and the general community and (2) examine the association between the use of CITI and the knowledge and attitudes about crystal methamphetamine.MethodsA cross-sectional web-based survey, open to Australian residents (aged ≥18 years), was conducted from November 2018 to March 2019. People who had previously visited the website (referred to as "website visitors" in this study) and those who had not ("naïve") were recruited. At baseline, knowledge, attitudes, and demographics were assessed. CITI website visitors then completed a series of site evaluation questions, including the System Usability Scale (SUS), and naïve participants were asked to undertake a guided site tour of a replicated version of the site before completing the evaluation questions and repeating knowledge and attitude scales.ResultsOf a total 2108 participants, 564 (26.7%) reported lifetime use of crystal methamphetamine, 434 (20.6%) were family/friends, 288 (13.7%) were health professionals, and 822 (38.9%) were community members. The average SUS score was 73.49 (SD 13.30), indicating good site usability. Health professionals reported significantly higher SUS scores than community members (P=.02) and people who used crystal methamphetamine (P<.001). Website visitors had significantly higher baseline knowledge than naïve participants (P<.001). Among naïve participants, knowledge scores increased following exposure to the website (mean 15.2, SE 0.05) compared to baseline (mean 14.4, SE 0.05; P<.001). The largest shifts in knowledge were observed for items related to prevalence, legal issues, and the effects of the drug. Stigmatizing attitude scores among the naïve group were significantly lower following exposure to CITI (mean 41.97, SE 0.21) compared to baseline (mean 44.3, SE 0.21; P<.001).ConclusionsThis study provides an innovative evaluation of a national eHealth resource. CITI is achieving its aim of disseminating evidence-based, nonstigmatizing, and useful information and resources about crystal methamphetamine to key end user groups and has received good usability scores across its target groups. Interaction with CITI led to immediate improvements in knowledge about crystal methamphetamine and a decrease in stigmatizing attitudes. CITI demonstrates the important role of digital information and support platforms for translating evidence into practice and improving knowledge and reducing stigma.
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