We are a research, education, and advocacy group dedicated to understanding how social media and current and emerging technologies can be used to promote health and health equity.
We are a research, education, and advocacy group dedicated to understanding how social media and current and emerging technologies can be used to promote health and health equity.
TECHNOLOGY HEALTH & EQUITY (THE)
WORKGROUP
Self-Care and Wellness Practices among African American Women
Project Lead: Dr. Delores James
This qualitative study will explore how African Americans/Blacks practice self-care and perceive the value of online health communities. Focus groups will be conducted with participants between the ages of 18-70. The project is funded by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation.
Factors That Affect Participation in Online Health Communities and Technology-Based Research Studies
Project Lead: Dr. Delores James
This cross-sectional survey will explore factors that determine participation in online health communities and technology based health research, online health-seeking behaviors, social media use, and eHealth literacy among African Americans/Blacks. It will also measure how well the views and perceptions of the participants align with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Framework. The project is funded by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation.
Creating and Sustaining an Online Health Community for African American Women
Project Lead: Dr. Delores James
The focus of this strategic initiative is to create and sustain a thriving online health community (OHC), Keep It Tight Sisters (KITS), primarily targeted to African American women (AAW). OHCs are web 2.0-based platforms that use communication technologies such as online live events, blogs, social media, video channels, and discussion forums. These tools offer new opportunities for reaching different segments of the population, especially those from underserved or low-resource communities. KITS was created to address the high prevalence of chronic diseases and poor health outcomes in a population that also has a high ownership of smartphones and high levels of social media engagement. Additionally, AAW tend to be the primary caretaker for the family, the primary source and keeper of family healing traditions, and valiant gatekeepers of the community. KITS is grounded in the belief that as Black women heal, our communities will also heal. KITS is funded in part as a strategic initiative by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Culture of Health Leaders program. Thus, it is aligned with RWJF’s Culture of Health Action Framework to improve health, equity, and well-being. As such, KITS focuses on disease prevention, wellness, self-care, and navigating the health care system.
Factors Affecting Participation in eHealth and mHealth Research
Project Lead: Dr. Delores James
The goal of this mixed methods study was to explore social media use, online health-seeking behaviors, barriers and motivations to participating in mHealth research, and mHealth recruitment strategies. A convenience sample of African Americans participated in 20 focus triads and completed more than 1000 self-administered surveys. Data were analyzed by gender and age groups (18-29, 30-50, and 51+).
Prevalence of Food Insecurity, Grocery Shopping Habits, and Dietary Choices College Students at a Large Southeastern University
Project Lead: Dr. Cedric Harville II (PhD Fall 2019)
Research from 14 studies indicate rates of food insecurity of 6% to 59% among college students at various college campus in the U.S. This online cross-sectional survey explored the prevalence of food insecurity, grocery insecurity, grocery shopping habits, information needs and dietary choices among undergraduate college students at the University of Florida. A random sample of 1,087 students completed the survey. The study found 36% food insecurity among college students at the University of Florida.
Factors Affecting mHealth Research among ROTC Cadets
Project Lead: Dr. Julia Wilson
Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) simultaneously experience the demands and challenges of college life and military training. Mobile devices and other communication technologies hold promise in addressing the health and wellness of cadets as they prepare for military leadership. This online cross-sectional study was the first study to focus on mHealth research among any military ROTC cadet population. The goal of this study was to assess eHealth literacy, identify health seeking behaviors, identify barriers and motivators to participating in mHealth research, identify recruitment and participation preferences to mHealth research, and identify sociodemographic (gender and racial) differences among Army ROTC cadets at Florida colleges or universities. The study consisted of 404 cadets from nine of 11 ROTC programs in Florida.
RESEARCH PROJECTS
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