Mobile technology, cancer prevention, and health status among diverse, low-income adults

Characterize mobile technology ownership, use, and relationship to self-reported cancer prevention behaviors and health status in a diverse, low-income sample of callers to 2-1-1.

Secondary analyses of cross-sectional survey data from a larger trial collected from June 2010 to December 2012.

United Way Missouri 2-1-1 serves 99 of 114 counties and received 166,000 calls in 2011.

The respondents (baseline, n = 1898; 4 month, n = 1242) were predominantly female, non-Hispanic Black, younger than 50 years, with high-school education or less and annual income <$20,000.

Cell phone ownership and use and its relationship to cancer prevention services and health status were assessed via telephone-based survey, using items adapted from previous research and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Smartphone ownership and use were also assessed.

Descriptive statistics and bivariate and multivariate associations between cell phone ownership and prevention and health status are reported.

Three-fourths (74%) of study participants owned a cell phone and 23% owned a smartphone. Text messaging was the most popular use. Ownership was significantly associated with good to excellent health status and presence of smoke-free home policies in multivariate models.

Cell phone ownership is growing and has potential to deliver health information to low-income populations. With 16 million calls annually, the national 2-1-1 system may be a promising model and platform.