title: Digital divide and stability of access in African American women visiting urban public health centers.
abstract: This exploratory study examines access to communication technologies, its association with health-related variables and study attrition, and its stability over time in a study of lower income African American women visiting urban public health centers. Participants (n = 1,227) provided information about cancer-related behaviors in a baseline questionnaire that also assessed their e-mail and cell phone/pager access. Interviews conducted at 1-, 6-, and 18-month follow up determined attrition, and an e-mail message sent to participants at 6-month follow up determined stability of access. Fewer than 10% of women reported e-mail access; 26% reported cell/phone pager access. At 6-month follow up, 45% of e-mail accounts were inactive; accounts from pay access providers were more likely to be inactive than work- or school-based accounts (58% versus 25%). Cell phone/pager access was positively associated with mammography knowledge. Attrition rates were lower among women with access than among those without access. Priorities for future research based on these preliminary findings are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Kresge 7th Floor, Boston, MA 02115, USA. lhaughto@hsph.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Lorna Tanya
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Haughton
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kreuter
authors.forename: Jasmine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Cheryl L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Holt
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wheetley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D034742:Electronic Mail / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008923:Missouri; D011203:Poverty / Q000208:ethnology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016387:Women's Health