Examining Differences in Health-Related Technology Use between Millennial and Older Generations of Caregivers

Caregivers from the Millennial generation are an emerging and understudied group of unpaid care providers in America who may benefit from digitally delivered support. To inform the design/tailoring of interventions for this group, we aimed to understand how Millennials may differ from other generations of caregivers regarding digital health-related technology use.

Using the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), Version 6, we conducted a cross-sectional study comparing health technology access and use across four generations of unpaid caregivers (n = 545; Millennials, Gen X, Baby Boomers, and Silent Generation) of adults with chronic conditions using chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric tests.

Compared to Baby Boomer and Silent Generation caregivers, Millennial caregivers more frequently reported having a cellular internet connection, using a wearable activity device, a health/wellness mobile application, choosing telehealth appointments for convenience, and most frequently used social media in general and to view health-related videos (ps < 0.005). Additionally, Millennials were more likely to report possessing a smartphone (compared to Gen X and Silent Generation) and more frequently used social media for peer interaction about health (compared to all older generations; ps < 0.005).

Millennials differ from older generations of caregivers regarding health-related technology access and use, which may have implications for intervention design and tailoring.