Internet use, browsing, and the urban poor: implications for cancer control

Area of Science:

• Socioeconomic Impact
• Digital Divide Research
• Internet Usage Studies

Background:

• Limited understanding of Internet usage patterns among impoverished populations.
• Need for research on digital inclusion for lower socioeconomic groups.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of providing Internet access on usage patterns among the urban poor.
• To identify differences in online behavior based on demographics.

Main Methods:

• Randomized controlled trial with 312 participants in Boston.
• Utilized pre- and posttest surveys and extensive Internet use tracking software.
• Collected over 13 million network activity files and 5.5 million records.

Main Results:

• Significant increase in Internet use among intervention participants.
• Primary usage on social media, participatory sites, and portals; differential patterns by gender and race/ethnicity.
• Low purposive health information seeking; high visits to local hospital sites and social networking platforms.

Conclusions:

• Internet availability drives significant adoption in low socioeconomic position (SEP) groups.
• SEP members engage online for participation, with varied site preferences.
• Social networking and shareware sites offer potential for improving health information access.