title: Determinants of frequent Internet use in an urban kidney transplant population in the United States: characterizing the digital divide.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Internet is a staple of electronic communication and is essential to the emerging telemonitoring and health information technology interventions for adults with chronic diseases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify determinants of frequent Internet use in an urban kidney transplant population in the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  A single center, cross-sectional survey study.
  
  
  METHODS
  An urban Midwestern transplant center.
  
  
  METHODS
  78 pretransplant and 177 posttransplant patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Frequent Internet use, defined as using the Internet more than 5 hours per week.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 38% of participants reported being frequent Internet users. Non-Hispanic blacks and participants who reported their race/ethnicity as "other" were significantly less likely than whites to report being frequent Internet users. Women were 59% less likely than men to be frequent users of the Internet. Those who reported having kidney disease for more than 3 years were more likely to report being frequent Internet users. As education increased, Internet use increased. As age increased, Internet use decreased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alternatives to electronic information sources and/or additional resources should be considered for those who may fall in the so-called digital divide.
authors.affiliation: University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lockwood
authors.affiliation: University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Milda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saunders
authors.affiliation: University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Michelle A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Josephson
authors.affiliation: University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Yolanda T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: Oregon Health and Science University School of Nursing.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States