Adults with high cardiovascular disease risk were significantly more likely to use mHealth to share health information with health providers compared to those with low risk (OR 2.61).
Cross-Sectional (n=10,531)
Is higher composite cardiovascular disease risk associated with a greater likelihood of engaging in specific mHealth use among US adults?
Adults with multiple cardiovascular risk factors are more likely to utilize mHealth technology to share information and discuss decisions with healthcare providers, highlighting an opportunity for digital health in cardiovascular prevention.
Effect estimate: OR 2.61 (95% CI 1.93-3.54)
Absolute Event Rate: 28.89% vs 14.97%
p-value: p=<0.001
BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have suggested that the relationship between cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and the usage of mobile health (mHealth) technology may vary depending on the total number of CVD risk factors present. However, whether higher CVD risk is associated with a greater likelihood of engaging in specific mHealth use among US adults is currently unknown. OBJECTIVE: We aim to assess the associations between the composite CVD risk and each component of mHealth use among US adults regardless of whether they have a history of CVD or not. METHODS: This study used cross-sectional data from the 2017 to 2020 Health Information National Trends Survey. The exposure was CVD risk (diabetes, hypertension, smoking, physical inactivity, and overweight or obesity). We defined low, moderate, and high CVD risk as having 0-1, 2-3, and 4-5 CVD risk factors, respectively. The outcome variables of interest were each component of mHealth use, including using mHealth to make health decisions, track health progress, share health information, and discuss health decisions with health providers. We used multivariable logistic regression models to examine the association between CVD risk and mHealth use adjusted for demographic factors. RESULTS: We included 10,531 adults, with a mean age of 54 (SD 16.2) years. Among the included participants, 50.2% were men, 65.4% were non-Hispanic White, 41.9% used mHealth to make health decisions, 50.8% used mHealth to track health progress toward a health-related goal, 18.3% used mHealth to share health information with health providers, and 37.7% used mHealth to discuss health decisions with health providers (all are weighted percentages). Adults with moderate CVD risk were more likely to use mHealth to share health information with health providers (adjusted odds ratio 1.49, 95% CI 1.24-1.80) and discuss health decisions with health providers (1.22, 95% CI 1.04-1.44) compared to those with low CVD risk. Similarly, having high CVD risk was associated with higher odds of using mHealth to share health information with health providers (2.61, 95% CI 1.93-3.54) and discuss health decisions with health providers (1.56, 95% CI 1.17-2.10) compared to those with low CVD risk. Upon stratifying by age and gender, we observed age and gender disparities in the relationship between CVD risk and the usage of mHealth to discuss health decisions with health providers. CONCLUSIONS: Adults with a greater number of CVD risk factors were more likely to use mHealth to share health information with health providers and discuss health decisions with health providers. These findings suggest a promising avenue for enhancing health care communication and advancing both primary and secondary prevention efforts related to managing CVD risk factors through the effective usage of mHealth technology.
Chen et al. (2024) conducted a cross-sectional in Cardiovascular risk (n=10,531). High cardiovascular disease risk (4-5 risk factors) vs. Low cardiovascular disease risk (0-1 risk factors) was evaluated on Using mHealth to share health information with health providers (OR 2.61, 95% CI 1.93-3.54, p=<0.001). Adults with high cardiovascular disease risk were significantly more likely to use mHealth to share health information with health providers compared to those with low risk (OR 2.61).