Table 1.
Characteristics of primary care patients with diabetes and/or hypertension in La Paz, Bolivia by level of engagement with mobile technology.
| N = 364 | N (%)e | Level of technology usef |
P-value | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 0 | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | |||
| Total | 364 (100) | 17.7 | 28.5 | 45.0 | 8.8 | |
| Demographics | ||||||
| Age | ||||||
| 18–29 | 14 (3.9) | 14.3 | 14.3 | 50.0 | 21.4 | <0.0001 |
| 30–49 | 60 (16.5) | 10.0 | 20.0 | 55.0 | 15.0 | |
| 50–65 | 163 (44.8) | 8.0 | 30.9 | 51.9 | 9.3 | |
| 65+ | 127 (34.9) | 34.1 | 31.0 | 31.0 | 4.0 | |
| Gender | ||||||
| Male | 150 (41.2) | 9.4 | 26.9 | 53.7 | 10.1 | 0.0021 |
| Female | 214 (58.8) | 23.5 | 29.6 | 39.0 | 8.0 | |
| Indigenous language at home | ||||||
| Yes | 133 (36.5) | 16.7 | 38.6 | 39.4 | 5.3 | 0.0071 |
| No | 231 (63.5) | 18.3 | 22.6 | 48.3 | 10.9 | |
| Education in years | ||||||
| 6 Or less | 133 (38.1) | 26.3 | 43.6 | 24.8 | 5.3 | <0.0001 |
| 7–12 | 132 (37.8) | 13.7 | 24.4 | 54.2 | 7.6 | |
| More than 12 | 84 (24.1) | 9.6 | 8.4 | 63.9 | 18.1 | |
| High information needsa | ||||||
| Yes | 139 (38.2) | 29.0 | 36.2 | 29.7 | 5.1 | <0.0001 |
| No | 225 (61.81) | 10.7 | 23.7 | 54.5 | 11.2 | |
| Health status | ||||||
| Fair/poor perceived health | ||||||
| Yes | 252 (70.2) | 16.0 | 30.0 | 45.2 | 8.8 | 0.5949 |
| No | 107 (29.8) | 21.5 | 25.2 | 44.9 | 8.4 | |
| No. of chronic conditionsb | ||||||
| 0 | 7 (2.0) | 14.3 | 28.6 | 57.1 | 0.0 | 0.9262 |
| 1 | 128 (36.3) | 14.3 | 27.8 | 47.6 | 10.3 | |
| ≥2 | 218 (61.8) | 18.8 | 28.9 | 44.0 | 8.3 | |
| Diabetes and hypertensionc | ||||||
| Hypertension only | 163 (44.8) | 16.1 | 27.2 | 46.3 | 10.5 | 0.8518 |
| Diabetes only | 94 (25.8) | 21.5 | 30.1 | 40.9 | 7.5 | |
| Both conditions | 107 (29.4) | 16.8 | 29.0 | 46.7 | 7.5 | |
| Health care access | ||||||
| Cost barriersd | ||||||
| Yes | 154 (42.5) | 17.1 | 33.6 | 41.5 | 7.9 | 0.3608 |
| No | 208 (57.5) | 18.3 | 25.0 | 47.6 | 9.1 | |
| Travel time to clinic | ||||||
| 0–29 min | 136 (40.2) | 24.3 | 23.5 | 42.7 | 9.6 | 0.0516 |
| 30–59 min | 121 (35.8) | 15.1 | 26.9 | 49.6 | 8.4 | |
| ≥60 min | 81 (24.0) | 11.1 | 40.7 | 39.5 | 8.6 | |
Cell entries are row percents, except the N (%) column, which includes marginal/column percents. N’s in some cells represent a small amount of missing data on that survey item.
aHigh information needs defined as being illiterate, frequently or always needing someone to help read papers from the health center, or frequently or always having problems understanding written medical instructions.
bIncludes patients’ report of a physician diagnosis of: diabetes, depression, cancer, hypertension, arthritis, chronic back pain, cardiovascular disease (heart attack, blocked artery, or stroke), and pulmonary disease (emphysema, COPD, or asthma).
cSelf-reported physician diagnosis or measured systolic blood pressure >140 mmHg if hypertensive, or >130 mmHg if diabetic OR hypertensive and diabetic.
dIn the past year, did cost ever keep you from going to a clinic or hospital?
eColumn percent.
fLevel 0: does not own cell phone; Level 1: owns personal cell phone but unable to text. The cell phone is not a smart phone or is shared; Level 2: owns a cell phone and able to text. Cell phone is not a smart phone; Level 3: owns a smart phone.