Cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRF) ?a cluster of risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) and diabetes is a significant public health concern in the US, positioning cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death in the country. Latinos have higher incidence for CMRF compared to non- Hispanic whites. Due to a number of sociodemographic and cultural barriers such as lack of insurance, lack of transportation, or language discordance, Latinos with CMRF often have difficulty managing their health condition which often results in increased CHD, stroke, and heart failure. Evidence consistently shows that mobile health (mHealth), which includes SMS facilitated patient-provider communication, telephone counseling, smartphone applications, and medical peripheral devices to monitor and access health related information, is effective in improving CMRF. While there has been an increased penetration of mobile phones in Latinos, with a reported 87% cell phone ownership, there are limited mHealth interventions explored in Latinos who suffer the most from CMRF. In order to facilitate the implementation of mHealth in CMRF self-management and improve the health outcomes of the Latinos with CMRF, this study aims to examine the factors that influence the adoption of mHealth among Latinos with CMRF using a mixed methods design. A modified Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) reveals how health beliefs, attitudes and mHealth literacy?one's ability to understand and use mHealth?influence Latino's motivation to manage their CMRF by adopting mHealth. The proposed aims are as follows: 1) To examine the relationship among health beliefs (Perceived Health Risks and Health Consciousness), Perceived Usefulness, and levels of mHealth Adoption among Latinos with CMRF. 2) To examine the role of mHealth literacy in mHealth Adoption. 3) To explore the individual experiences of Latinos with CMRF in the United States to elicit barriers and facilitators of mHealth adoption. 4) To generate a comprehensive understanding of how cultural and social norms of Latinos with CMRF influence mHealth adoption, using an explanatory sequential design. An understanding of the Latino patients with CMRF in terms of their characteristics, perceptions and sociocultural norms and how they influence the Latino patients' adoption of mHealth can help inform the design of a patient- centered mHealth intervention and facilitate its implementation. The proposed study fits the strategic plan of the NINR as it supports research targeted at using innovative technologies to facilitate self- management of chronic diseases. The training plan will provide the requisite individualized and mentored experiences to develop knowledge and professional skills in nursing science, cardiovascular research, digital health technologies and health disparities research.
Cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRF) ?a cluster of risk factors, including obesity, high fasting blood sugar, high blood pressure, high triglyceride, and low HDL cholesterol, that raises one's risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) and diabetes, contributes to mortality and rising health care costs and in the US. Latinos experience higher morbidity for CMRF than non-Hispanic whites (41% vs. 32%) and despite consistent evidence that shows improvement in self management of CMRF using mobile health (mHealth) technologies, there have been limited mHealth interventions explored in Latinos. This study aims to investigate the motivating factors that are associated with mHealth adoption among this understudied group.
