Digital Disparities Research Articles

Progress of e-development in China since 1998

In this paper, a holistic analytical framework for tracing and understanding the progress of e-development is developed and adopted in an empirical case study of China’s e-development since 1998. In particular, the progress is analyzed systematically by benchmarking various ICT infrastructure and e-devices, the composition of Internet users, and the key dimensions of e-government, e-working, e-commerce, and e-networking. In addition, the questions of whether the geographical digital divide in the country has been narrowed is examined. Our findings show that (1) China has made noticeable progress in the e-development since 1998; yet, progress varied in different dimensions; (2) based on the overall performance, 2004 can be considered as the watershed for China to move from the formative stage to the developmental stage; (3) during the e-development, digital disparities in China have dramatically decreased at the provincial level, however, the urban-rural digital gap widened. We suggest that other than promoting affordable ICT possession, the wider and more diversified e-applications for different walks of life will be important for China to move towards the mature stage.

Older Veteran Digital Disparities: Examining the Potential for Solutions Within Social Networks.

BackgroundOlder adults typically have less access to the Internet than other age groups, and older Veterans may use the Internet even less due to economic and geographic reasons.ObjectiveTo explore solutions to this problem, our study examined older Veterans’ reported ability to access technology through their close social ties.MethodsData were collected via mail survey from a sample of Veterans aged 65 years and older (N=266).ResultsNearly half (44.0%, 117/266) of the sample reported having no Internet access. Yet, among those without current access, older Veterans reported having a median of 5 (IQR 7) close social ties with home Internet access. These older Veterans also reported that they would feel comfortable asking a median of 2 (IQR 4) social ties for help to access the Internet, and that a median of 2 (IQR 4) social ties would directly access the Internet for the older Veteran to help with health management.ConclusionsFindings suggest that even older Veterans without current Internet access have at least two social ties with home Internet who could be called upon for technology support. Thus, older Veterans may be willing to call upon these “surrogate seekers” for technology assistance and support in health management. This has implications for the digital divide, technology design, and health care policy.

Latino/Hispanic Alzheimer's caregivers experiencing dementia-related dressing issues: corroboration of the Preservation of Self model and reactions to a "smart dresser" computer-based dressing aid.

ObjectiveTo gain an understanding of Latino/Hispanic caregivers’ dementia-related dressing issues, their impressions of using a “smart” context-aware dresser to coach dressing, and recommendations to improve its acceptability.MethodThe same Latina moderator conducted all the caregiver focus groups. She followed a semi-structured interview guide that was previously used with White and African American family caregivers who experienced Alzheimer’s disease related dressing challenges. From that study, the Preservation of Self model emerged. Using a deductive qualitative analytic approach, we applied the thematic domains from the Preservation of Self model to ascertain relevance to Latino/Hispanic caregivers.ResultsTwenty Latino/Hispanic experienced caregivers were recruited, enrolled, and participated in one of three focus groups. The majority were female (75%) and either the spouse (25%) or adult child (35%). Striking similarities occurred with the dressing challenges and alignment with the Preservation of Self model. Ethnic differences arose in concerns over assimilation weakening the Latino culture of family caregiving. Regional clothing preferences were noted. Technology improvement recommendations for our system, called DRESS, included developing bilingual prompting dialogs and video modules using the local vernacular to improve cultural sensitivity. Caregivers identified the potential for the technology to enable user privacy, empowerment, and exercise as well as offering respite time for themselves.ConclusionFindings suggest dementia-related dressing issues were shared in common by different racial/ethnic groups but the response to them was influenced by cultural dynamics. For the first time Latino/Hispanic voices are heard to reflect their positive technology impressions, concerns, and recommendations in order to begin to address the cultural digital disparities divide.

Where Do U.S. Adults Who Do Not Use the Internet Get Health Information? Examining Digital Health Information Disparities From 2008 to 2013

With more people turning to the Internet for health information, a few questions remain: Which populations represent the remaining few who have never used the Internet, and where do they go for health information? The purpose of this study is to describe population characteristics and sources of health information among U.S. adults who do not use the Internet. Data from 3 iterations of the Health Information National Trends Survey (n = 1,722) are used to examine trends in health information sources. Weighted predicted probabilities demonstrate changes in information source over time. Older adults, minority populations, and individuals with low educational attainment represent a growing percentage of respondents who have looked for health information but have never used the Internet, highlighting trends in digital information disparities. However, 1 in 10 respondents who have never used the Internet also indicate that the Internet was their first source of health information, presumably through surrogates. Findings highlight digital disparities in information seeking and the complex nature of online information seeking. Future research should examine how individuals conceptualize information sources, measure skills related to evaluating information and sources, and investigate the social nature of information seeking. Health care organizations and public health agencies can leverage the multifaceted nature of information seeking to better develop information resources to increase information access by vulnerable populations.

The contemporary US digital divide: from initial access to technology maintenance

As US Internet penetration rates have climbed, digital divide researchers have largely shifted attention to differences in Internet skills. Interviews with 72 low-income US residents from both a large metropolitan city and a medium-sized Midwestern town, however, reveal that many people still struggle to maintain physical access, supporting technology maintenance theory. Technology maintenance theory argues that although most of the US poor now use digital technology, access is unstable and characterized by frequent periods of disconnection. As a result, low-income users must work to maintain access, often experiencing cycles of dependable instability. In these interviews, nearly all used the Internet, but technology maintenance practices were widespread, including negotiation of temporarily disconnected service, broken hardware, and logistic limitations on public access. As a result, participants had limited access to health information and employment, and biased attitudes toward technology. That is, in some cases, negative attitudes toward Internet adoption reflected a rational response to disconnection rather than cultural norms or fears of the Internet, as suggested by previous research. Findings support and extend the theory of technology maintenance by emphasizing a shift in the US digital divide from issues of ownership to issues of sustainability; they also provide insight into the interrelated nature of access and attitudes toward technology. This new theoretical approach complements other theoretical approaches to the digital divide that foreground a contextualized understanding of digital disparities as embedded within a history of broad social disparities.

Digital disparity detection: using simple technologies to document worker fatalities in middle- and low-income countries

Digital disparity detection: using simple technologies to document worker fatalities in middle- and low-income countries

The implications of information and communication technology use for the social well-being of older adults

Older adults, comprising a population segment more vulnerable to social isolation during the late life stages, are more likely to be excluded from the benefits of information and communication technologies (ICTs) as well as from the focus of ICT research. Addressing this research gap concerning the currently fastest growing sector of ICT users this study centers on the disparities regarding older adults’ ICT access and use. Because the effects of ICTs cannot be uniform for all users, the digital inequalities older adults experience might have different influences on their social lives when compared to other populations that have been studied in the previous literature. Drawing on surveys from 1780 older adults, ages 60 years and older, residing in six suburbs in the Chicago area, this research links older adults’ digital inequalities to their social well-being. We demonstrate that while socio-economic status remains the major factor affecting their quality of life, social and instrumental ICT uses can also contribute to their well-being in varied and unexpected ways. From these results, we draw implications for the study of digital disparities by examining how the impacts of ICTs vary by differential uses and different age groups.

Digital divide across the European Union

Our research analyses the digital divide within the European Union 27 between the years of 2008 and 2010. To accomplish this we use multivariate statistical methods, more specifically factor and cluster analysis, to address the European digital disparities. Our results lead to an identification of two latent dimensions and five groups of countries. We conclude that a digital gap does, in fact, exist within the European Union. The process of European integration and the economic wealth emerge as explanatory factors for this divide. On the other hand, the educational attendance is not proven to be significant, as one would expect.

Digital exclusion in Turkey: A policy perspective

This article explores the patterns of the digital divide in Turkey and analyzes policies related to this issue. Our analysis reveals that the digital disparities are interwoven with other social inequalities. This finding is parallel to the conclusions of previous research which suggests that digital exclusion can have a ‘reinforcing’ effect on social and/or economic inequalities. Having considered the current range of policies targeting either ICT access or skills, we argue that techno-centric solutions with huge budgets occupy the policy agenda at the expense of more sophisticated programs that take into account the social context of digital exclusion. These policies fail to address the most disadvantaged groups. Those who are old, disabled, female and reside in rural areas are less likely to be internet users and existing policies do not reach out to these groups.

Abstract ED05-03: Social media use, communication inequalities, and public health: Where we are and where we need to go

Abstract Social media are emerging as an important platform for communication and health information exchange. Yet, despite the increase in popularity and use, only a limited number of empirical studies document which segments of the adult population are and are not using social media and with what, if any, affect on health. Preliminary studies highlight that while there are still significant inequalities by race and socioeconomic status in Internet access, once access is gained, use of social media such as social networking sites is equally prolific across socio-demographic groups. This ubiquity of use presents both significant opportunities and challenges for cancer communication efforts. With the new communication channel emerges a real need for refined measurement that adequately reflects the innate dynamism of the platform and a nuanced understanding of the links between computer/technology-mediated communication and health across populations to ensure that existing digital divides and health disparities are not exacerbated but rather narrowed. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2011;4(10 Suppl):ED05-03.

Report of racial and digital disparities in web-based health information

The objective of this study was to examine how racial and ethnic characteristics are associated with access to computers, the internet and online health information. Using stratified survey data and binary logistic regression, we examine the persistence of the digital divide and implications for digitally underserved groups.

Corruption and the role of information

Several studies have explored how certain economic and cultural variables affect a country's corruption level. This study extends previous research by not only considering these variables, but also taking into account the impact that information and communication technology can have on corruption. The results indicate that the greater the access to information, the lower the corruption levels. Therefore bridging the digital disparity across countries can also serve to lessen national corruption levels.

A multivariate framework for the analysis of the digital divide: Evidence for the European Union-15

Our research was initiated in an attempt to analyse the digital gap between nations. With this aim, we approached the measurement of digital disparities between countries by means of multivariate statistical methods. In particular we used factor and cluster analysis to obtain a classification of the levels of digital development. This framework was applied to the European Union (EU) before its last increase in number of nations. The analysis led to the identification of two factors and four groups of countries in the EU, showing asymmetry in the development of the information society.

Automated system for coarse-to-fine pyramidal area correlation stereo matching

An automatic, general purpose system for the production of dense digital disparity models (DDM) is described. The system applies an area-based correlation stereo matcher via an image resolution pyramid. The theory of this coarse-to-fine technique is described and possible improvements to it are outlined. The results of applying the system to different types of imagery including SPOT-1 stereo imagery of Western Cyprus, structured light stereo imagery of faces and knees and MRI scanner imagery of the human brain are presented.