Background: Mobile Health applications (mHealth apps) have been demonstrated as an effective strategy for improving self-care abilities in patients with heart failure (HF). However, the uptake of the apps by patients remains low. Little is known about the patient’s perspectives on the factors that influence their uptake of the apps. This study explored HF patients’ perspectives on the barriers and motivators to the uptake and utilization of mHealth apps. Method: Semi-structure interviews and demographic questionnaires were used to gather data from patients with HF (N= 43) recruited from an academic medical center. An in-depth analysis of the interviews was conducted using a deductive thematic approach with the help of qualitative software, Atias.ti version 8. Results: Among the participants ( median age = 62 [35-92] years, mean±SD ejection fraction = 37.3±17, 41.9% female, 70% smartphone owners), 90.7% (n =39) had no prior use of mHealth apps for self-care. The majority of the participants with no prior use of mhealth (79.5%, n = 31), including 64.7% (n= 17) of participants aged 65yrs and above, expressed an intention to use the apps for self-care. All the participants (100%) stated that their healthcare providers (HCP) had never recommended the use of mHealth apps for self-care. Other barriers included lack of knowledge of the apps, the perceived financial cost of mHealth apps or smartphones, concern for privacy, and security of personal information, resistance to the change of previous self-care strategies, and perceived technology incompetence. Motivators to the uptake of mHealth included perceived usefulness of mHealth apps, mHealth apps’ ease of use, and the belief that the use of mHealth apps may alleviate perceived threat to health, and availability of technical support. Conclusion: This study suggests that patients with HF are willing to use mHealth apps to improve their self-care abilities. Thus, the effort to improve patients’ perceptions of mHealth apps’ usefulness and HCP recommendation of the apps are warranted to turn patients' “intention to use” to actual apps usage.
Background: Hispanics in the U.S. are less likely to engage in leisure time physical activity than non-Hispanics. Among Hispanics, families influence health behaviors and family support may motivate adults at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) or type 2 diabetes (T2D) to participate in physical activity. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine whether family support predicts engagement in leisure time physical activity among Hispanic adults at risk for CVD or T2D. Methods: Baseline data from Hispanic adults at risk for CVD or T2D were analyzed. Family support for leisure time physical activity was measured using the Family Support subscale of the Social Support for Physical Activity instrument. This consists of 7 items with response options ranging from never (0) to always (4). Sum scores range from 0 to 28 and higher scores indicate greater family support for engagement in physical activity. Leisure time physical activity was measured using the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II) physical activity subscale. This consists of eight items with response options ranging from never (1) to routinely (4) with higher mean scores indicating higher levels of engagement in leisure time physical activity. Linear regression was used to examine the association between family support and leisure time physical activity, controlling for age, sex, race, financial comfort, education, acculturation, years living in the U.S, marital status, and employment. Results: Participants (N=182) were 40±9 years old; 82.7% were female. The mean HPLP-II score was 1.7±0.5, reflecting low engagement in leisure time physical activity. Results of the regression analysis indicated that greater family support predicted higher levels of engagement in leisure time physical activity (F(10,171)=2.717, p<.004; R 2 =.137). Conclusions: Family support for physical activity may increase engagement in leisure time physical activity in Hispanic adults at risk for CVD or T2D. Interventions that promote family support for physical activity could be an important avenue for reducing CVD and T2D risk in this population group.
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