Technology for Behavioral Change in Rural Older Adults with Obesity

Abstract

Background: Mobile health (mHealth) technologies comprise a multidisciplinary treatment strategy providing potential solutions for overcoming challenges of successfully delivering health promotion interventions in rural areas. We evaluated the potential of using technology in a high-risk population.

Methods: We conducted a convergent, parallel mixed-methods study using semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and self-reported questionnaires, using purposive sampling of 29 older adults, 4 community leaders and 7 clinicians in a rural setting. We developed codes informed by thematic analysis and assessed the quantitative data using descriptive statistics.

Results: All groups expressed that mHealth could improve health behaviors. Older adults were optimistic that mHealth could track health. Participants believed they could improve patient insight into health, motivating change and assuring accountability. Barriers to using technology were described, including infrastructure.

Conclusions: Older rural adults with obesity expressed excitement about the use of mHealth technologies to improve their health, yet barriers to implementation exist.

Keywords:

• Aging
• mixed-methods
• qualitative
• technology

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Nayan Agarwal and Rebecca Masutani for their assistance in transcription. We express the appreciation of Louise Davies, MD, MS, for her input in the enclosed schematic.

Disclosure statement

There are no conflicts of interest pertaining to this manuscript

Additional information

Funding

Dr. Batsis’ research reported in this publication was supported in part by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number K23AG051681. Support was also provided by the Dartmouth Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research Center supported by Cooperative Agreement Number U48DP005018 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health or represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Batsis received funding from Health Resources Services Administration (UB4HP19206-01-00) for medical geriatric teaching, the Junior Faculty Career Development Award, the Department of Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, and the Dartmouth Centers for Health and Aging.Dr. Bartels receives funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (K12 HS0217695 (AHRQ), NIMH: T32 MH073553, R01 MH078052, R01 MH089811; R24 MH102794 CDC U48DP005018. Dr. Naslund reports receiving support from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (P30 DA029926). Dr. Carpenter-Song is supported in part by K23AG051681. Dr. Kotz is supported from the National Science Foundation Grant # CNS-1314281 and CNS-1619970.