Socioeconomic Indicators Linked to Parent Health-Related Technology Use: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study (Preprint)
Authors: McCall Madison P. , Hineline Megan T. , Anton Margaret T. , Highlander April , Jones Deborah J. 
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND

Despite the prevalence of parent health information-seeking on the internet and its impact on parenting behavior, there is a paucity of research with parents of young children (ages 3-8), in particular. Given the importance of this developmental period, exploring how family socioeconomic indicators linked to the digital divide and health inequities affect parent self- and proxy-seeking is critical to further understanding variability in health information-seeking behaviors and associated outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore parental health-related technology use, the process by which parents engage in support, advice, and information-seeking behavior related to their (self-seeking) and their childrens’ (proxy-seeking) health across a range of hardware devices (e.g., tablet, wearable, smartphone, and laptop and desktop computer) and sources (e.g., search engines, mobile applications, social media, and other digital media).

METHODS

A cross-sectional study including 313 parents and guardians of children ages 3 to 8 years old recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) was conducted. Parents were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire on a broad range of parenting and parent-related constructs, including sociodemographic information, technology device ownership and use, and features of, engagement in, and perceptions of health-related technology use (HTU). Descriptive and bivariate analyses (chi-square tests) were performed to identify patterns and investigate associations between family socioeconomic indicators and parent HTU.

RESULTS

The overwhelming majority (96%) of parents of young children reported engaging in HTU, of which 99% reported using search engines (e.g., Google), followed by social media (62%), other forms of digital media (48%; e.g., podcasts), and mobile applications (38%). Parents who engaged in health-related technology use reported seeking information about their child’s behavior and discipline practices (84%), mental or physical health (59%), and academic performance (46%). Additionally, nearly half (44%) of parents reported searching for advice on managing their stress. Of parents who reported using each source, an overwhelming majority (93%) of parents indicated that search engines were a helpful online source for proxy and self-seeking, followed by social media (89%), other digital media (83%), and mobile apps (76%). Of parents who reported using any technology source, approximately one-fifth of parents reported that technology sources were most comfortable (20%), most understanding (22%), and most influential toward behavior change (23%), in comparison to traditional methods of health information-seeking, including mental health professionals, other health care professionals, school professionals, community leaders, friends, and family members. Indicators of family socioeconomic status were differentially associated with frequency of, perceptions of, and search content associated with parent HTU across technology sources.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings underscore critical considerations in the design and dissemination of digital health tools, programs, and interventions, especially those targeting traditionally underserved communities.