Exploring the Use of Personal Technology in Type 2 Diabetes Management Among Ethnic Minority Patients: Cross-Sectional Analysis of Survey Data from the Lifestyle Intervention for the Treatment of Diabetes Study (LIFT Diabetes)

Background: Minority populations have higher morbidity from chronic diseases and typically experience worse health outcomes. Internet technology may afford a low-cost method of ongoing chronic disease management to promote improved health outcomes among minority populations. Objective: The objective of our study was to assess the feasibility of capitalizing on the pervasive use of technology as a secondary means of delivering diabetic counseling though an investigation of correlates to technology use within the context of an ongoing diabetes intervention study. Methods: The Lifestyle Intervention for the Treatment of Diabetes study (LIFT Diabetes) randomly assigned 260 overweight and obese adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus to 2 intervention arms. At baseline, we administered a survey evaluating access to and use of various technologies and analyzed the responses using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results: The sample population had a mean age of 56 (SD 11) years; 67.3% (175/260) were female and 54.6% (n=142) self-identified as being from ethnic minority groups (n=125, 88.0% black; n=6, 4.3% Hispanic; and n=11, 7.7% other). Minority participants had higher baseline mean body mass index (P=.002) and hemoglobin A1c levels (P=.003). Minority participants were less likely to have a home computer (106/142, 74.7% vs 110/118, 93.2%; P<.001) and less likely to have email access at home (P=.03). Ownership of a home computer was correlated to higher income (P<.001), higher educational attainment (P<.001), full-time employment (P=.01), and ownership of a smartphone (P=.001). Willingness to complete questionnaires online was correlated to higher income (P=.001), higher education (P<.001), full-time employment (P=.01), and home access to a computer, internet, and smartphone (P≤.05). Racial disparities in having a home computer persisted after controlling for demographic variables and owning a smartphone (adjusted OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.10-0.67; P=.01). Willingness to complete questionnaires online was driven by ownership of a home computer (adjusted OR 3.87, 95% CI 1.14-13.2; P=.03). Conclusions: Adults who self-identified as being part of a minority group were more likely to report limited access to technology than were white adults. As ownership of a home computer is central to a willingness to use online tools, racial disparities in access may limit the potential of Web-based interventions to reach this population. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01806727; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01806727 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6xOq2b7Tv) JMIR Diabetes 2018 | vol. 3 | iss. 1 | e5 | p.1 http://diabetes.jmir.org/2018/1/e5/ (page number not for citation purposes) Claudel & Bertoni JMIR DIABETES