Internet Use, Electronic Health Literacy, and Hypertension Control among the Elderly at an Urban Primary Care Center in Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study

Auswin Rojanasumapong,Chaisiri Angkurawaranon,Wichuda Jiraporncharoen,Kanokporn Pinyopornpanish,Nopakoon Nantsupawat,Mary Ellen Gilder

doi:10.3390/ijerph18189574

Auswin Rojanasumapong, Chaisiri Angkurawaranon + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189574

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Abstract

This study aimed to explore the internet usage and electronic health literacy (eHL) among adults aged 60 and older with hypertension and to explore the associations between eHL and blood pressure control. A cross-sectional survey was conducted at an out-patient primacy care clinic in the urban city center of Chiang Mai, Thailand. eHL was measured using the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS). Logistic regression was used to identify the association between eHL and blood pressure, adjusting for age and sex as a priori confounders and key sociodemographic factors previously identified in univariable analysis. A total of 110 older adult patients with a history of diagnosed hypertension agreed to participate. The mean age of the participants was 67 years old. Fifty-six participants (50.9%) had used the internet in their lifetime. Among internet users, 37 out of 56 participants (66%) could be classified as having high eHL. However, there was insufficient evidence for associations among internet use, eHL and hypertension control. This result potentially creates new opportunities for eHealth education and interventions. Efforts to produce centralized clear, reliable health information targeting this demographic would be worthwhile to help manage chronic diseases such as hypertension in Thailand in the future.

Highlights

The older adult population in the world is increasing
This study aimed to explore the internet usage and electronic health literacy (eHL) among an older adult population with hypertension in Thailand and to explore the associations between eHL and blood pressure control
Evidence from Thailand suggests that internet use by the older adults is growing because of the increasing accessibility of internet

Summary

Introduction

The older adult population in the world is increasing. According to the World HealthOrganization (WHO), the proportion of people older than 60 increased from 8.5% in 1975 to 12.2% in 2015 [1]. The older adult population in the world is increasing. Organization (WHO), the proportion of people older than 60 increased from 8.5% in 1975 to 12.2% in 2015 [1]. In Thailand, the proportion of people over 60 increased from. The older adult population faces various medical issues and is especially at risk for chronic disease. Hypertension is a chronic disease that affects up to 52–70% of the older adult population [3,4]. The number of diagnosed patients increased from 600 million in 1980 to nearly one billion in 2008, with 16% of cases being uncontrolled [5,6,7,8]. In Thailand, according to the 2014 Thai National Health Examination

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