JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Health programs delivered through digital devices such as mobile phones (mHealth) are an increasingly important component of the healthcare toolkit. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women of reproductive age are likely to be caring for children and family members and needing healthcare but little is known about their access to and interest for mHealth.

Objective:

The objectives of this study were to investigate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women’s ownership of digital devices, access to the internet, current mHealth use, and interest and preferences for future mHealth. Factors (age, remoteness, caring for a child under 5 years, and level of education) associated with ownership of digital devices and the internet, and interest in using a mobile phone to improve health were examined. This study also examined if women are more likely to use mHealth for topics that they are less confident to talk about face to face with a health professional.

Methods:

A national online cross-sectional survey targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women of reproductive age (16-49 years). Descriptive statistics are reported, and logistic regressions were used to examine associations between age, remoteness, caring for a child under 5 years, and level of education with device ownership, mHealth modalities of interest, and mHealth topics of interest.

Results:

In total, 379 women completed the survey; 89% owned a smartphone, 54% a laptop, and 36% a tablet, and 93% had access to the internet at home. Most women used social media (89%) or the internet (75%) every day. The most common modality used on a mobile phone for health was “Google” (61%), followed by social media (48%). The most preferred modality for future programmes were text messages (56%) and social media (51%). The most preferred topics for future mHealth programmes were healthy eating (55%) and cultural engagement (54%). Women who were younger had greater odds of owning a smartphone and women with tertiary education were more likely to own a tablet or laptop. Older age was associated with interest to use telehealth, and higher educational attainment was associated with interest for videoconferencing. Most women used an Aboriginal Medical Service (71%) and overall reported high rates of confidence to discuss health topics with a health professional. A similar likelihood of selecting a topic for mHealth whether women were or were not confident to talk to a health professional about that topic was found.

Conclusions:

There is good access and interest for mHealth among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Future mHealth programmes should consider utilising text messages and social media modalities and include content on nutrition and culture.