"You're Going to Have to Think a Little Bit Different" Barriers and Facilitators to Using mHealth to Increase Physical Activity among Older, Rural Cancer Survivors

Tamar Ginossar; Heidi Rishel Brakey; Andrew L Sussman; Brittany Price; Miria Kano; Sally Davis; Cindy K Blair

doi:10.3390/ijerph18178929

"You're Going to Have to Think a Little Bit Different" Barriers and Facilitators to Using mHealth to Increase Physical Activity among Older, Rural Cancer Survivors

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Aug 25;18(17):8929. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18178929.

Authors

Tamar Ginossar^{1

2}, Heidi Rishel Brakey³, Andrew L Sussman^{2

4}, Brittany Price⁵, Miria Kano^{2

6}, Sally Davis^{7

8}, Cindy K Blair^{2

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Communication and Journalism, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
² University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albuquerque, NM 87102, USA.
³ Clinical and Translational Science Center, Health Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
⁴ Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
⁵ Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
⁶ Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
⁷ Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
⁸ University of New Mexico Prevention Research Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.

Abstract

Wearable activity trackers (WATs) hold great promise in increasing physical activity among older cancer survivors. However, older cancer survivors who reside in rural regions are at increased risk of being digitally marginalized. The goal of this study was to learn about WATs adoption motivation and needs of rural older cancer survivors who live in New Mexico, one of the most rural states with the lowest broadband Internet connectivity in the United States. We conducted six key informant interviews and recruited 31 older cancer survivors from rural counties statewide who participated in interviews and focus groups. Our results show great interest in using WATs as part of an intervention to alleviate barriers associated with the digital divide. Participants were offered diverse modalities to support them in adoption of the trackers. These results will be used to inform future interventions and policies focusing on increasing physical activity in older cancer survivors who reside in rural communities.

Keywords: aging; cancer survivors; mHealth; physical activity; rural; wearable activity trackers.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Aged
Cancer Survivors*
Exercise
Fitness Trackers
Humans
Neoplasms*
Rural Population
Telemedicine*

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding