JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Health-related data from technological devices are increasingly obtained through smartphone apps and wearable devices. These data can be used to enable physicians and other care providers to monitor patients outside the clinic or assist individuals in improving lifestyle factors. However, the use of health technology data might be hampered by the reluctance of patients to share personal health technology data because of the privacy sensitivity of this information.

Objective:

The present study investigates to what extent psychological factors play a role in people’s willingness to share personal health technology data.

Methods:

Data for this cross-sectional study were obtained by quota sampling on age and sex in a community-based sample (N= 1013; mean age = 48.6 (SD = 16.6) years; 51.5% women). Willingness to share personal health technology data and related privacy concerns were assessed using an 8-item questionnaire with good psychometric properties (Cronbach’s α = .82). Psychological variables were assessed using validated questionnaires for optimism (LOT-R), psychological flexibility (PFQ), negative affectivity (DS14-NA), social inhibition (DS14-SI), generalized anxiety (GAD-7) and depressive symptoms (PHQ-9). Data were analysed using multiple linear regression analyses and network analysis was used to visualise the associations between the item scores.

Results:

Higher levels of optimism (β = 0.093, p = .004), psychological flexibility (β = 0.127, p < .001) and lower levels of social inhibition (β = -0.096, p = .002) were significantly associated with higher levels of willingness to share health technology data when adjusting for age, sex and education level in separate regression models. Other associations with psychological variables were not statistically significant. Network analysis revealed that psychological flexibility clustered more towards items that focussed on the benefits of sharing data, while optimism was negatively associated with privacy concerns.

Conclusions:

The current results suggest that people with higher levels of optimism and psychological flexibility and those with lower social inhibition levels are more likely to share health technology data. Future studies are needed to identify the specific needs of people with these characteristics regarding data sharing such that optimal use of devices in healthcare can be facilitated.