title: Technology use and interest among low-income parents of young children: differences by age group and ethnicity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine demographic differences in frequency of use of technologies and interest in receiving nutrition information via technology by low-income parents and caregivers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive, cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Head Start and state-funded child care programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 806 parents and caregivers from low-income families.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 20-item survey assessed frequency of use and interest in technologies (dependent variables) and collected participant age and ethnicity (independent variables).
  
  
  METHODS
  Multivariate ANOVA analysis investigated whether age, ethnicity, and their interactions were related to frequency of use and interest in technology types.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Daily rates of usage for Internet, text messaging, and cell phone use were over 60%. However, Twitter and blogs were accessed daily by < 13% of respondents. The omnibus 2-way interaction of ethnicity and age was nonsignificant. However, main effects for ethnicity (Wilks' λ = .85; F = 3.13; P < .001) and age (Wilks' λ = .89; F = 2.29; P < .001) were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Facebook, e-mail, texting, and smartphone applications may be innovative modalities to engage with low-income parents and caregivers aged ≤ 45. However, some strategies may be ineffective for reaching Hispanic families as they reported less use of the Internet, Facebook, and e-mail as well as less interest in e-mail.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR. Electronic address: tswindle@uams.edu.
authors.forename: Taren M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Swindle
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR.
authors.forename: Wendy L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR.
authors.forename: Leanne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Whiteside-Mansell
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR.
authors.forename: Patti
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bokony
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR.
authors.forename: Dawn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pettit
mesh_terms: D001131:Arkansas; D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education; D053198:Child Nutrition Sciences / Q000193:education*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D034742:Electronic Mail / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D057226:Information Seeking Behavior; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D011203:Poverty; D061108:Social Media / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013685:Telecommunications / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D060145:Text Messaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: child nutrition sciences; electronic e-mail; low-income population; social media; technology