Table 1.
Veteran demographic characteristics compared by Internet access (N=266).
| Variables | Older Veterans with current Internet access, n (%) (n=149) | Older Veterans with no Internet access, n (%) (n=117) | P value (z test) | |
| Age (years) | ||||
|
|
65-75 | 89 (59.7) | 41 (35.0) | <.001 |
|
|
76-85 | 49 (32.9) | 52 (44.4) | .05 |
|
|
≥86 | 11 (7.4) | 24 (20.5) | .002 |
| Gender | ||||
|
|
Male | 144 (96.6) | 111 (94.9) | .47 |
|
|
Female | 5 (3.4) | 6 (5.1) | .47 |
| Race/Ethnicity |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Black | 20 (13.4) | 18 (15.4) | .65 |
|
|
White | 117 (78.5) | 89 (76.1) | .47 |
|
|
Hispanic | 12 (8.1) | 10 (8.5) | .63 |
| Marital status | ||||
|
|
Married/partnered | 97 (65.1) | 60 (51.3) | .02 |
|
|
Unmarried (single, divorced, or widowed) |
52 (34.9) | 57 (48.7) | .02 |
| Rural status |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Urban | 114 (77.6) | 82 (70.1) | .24 |
|
|
Rural | 33 (22.4) | 35 (29.9) | .15 |
| Education | ||||
|
|
Elementary | 1 (0.7) | 2 (1.7) | .42 |
|
|
Middle | 7 (4.8) | 10 (8.6) | .20 |
|
|
High school | 27 (18.5) | 37 (31.9) | .01 |
|
|
Some college/vocational | 48 (32.9) | 41 (35.3) | .62 |
|
|
Associates | 13 (8.9) | 8 (6.9) | .57 |
|
|
College degree | 27 (18.5) | 11 (9.5) | .04 |
|
|
Graduate degree | 23 (15.8) | 7 (6.0) | .02 |
| Income (US $) | ||||
|
|
5000-10,000 | 4 (3.0) | 13 (12.5) | .005 |
|
|
10,001-15,000 | 11 (7.4) | 24 (23.1) | .002 |
|
|
15,001-25,000 | 20 (13.4) | 27 (26.0) | .04 |
|
|
25,001-35,000 | 38 (25.5) | 21 (20.2) | .14 |
|
|
35,001-45,000 | 16 (10.7) | 10 (9.6) | .55 |
|
|
>$45,000 | 43 (28.9) | 9 (8.7) | <.001 |
| Health status | ||||
|
|
Very poor | 2 (1.4) | 6 (5.2) | .07 |
|
|
Poor | 8 (5.4) | 13 (11.2) | .09 |
|
|
Fair | 48 (32.7) | 49 (42.2) | .10 |
|
|
Good | 77 (52.4) | 44 (37.9) | .02 |
|
|
Excellent | 12 (8.2) | 4 (3.4) | .11 |
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| Need help reading hospital materials? (health literacy) | ||||
|
|
Always | 14 (9.4) | 22 (19.3) | .03 |
|
|
Often | 7 (4.7) | 6 (5.3) | .87 |
|
|
Sometimes | 17 (11.4) | 11 (9.6) | .60 |
|
|
Occasionally | 28 (18.8) | 19 (16.7) | .60 |
|
|
Never | 83 (55.7) | 56 (49.1) | .20 |
| Confident filling out medical forms? (health literacy) | ||||
|
|
Not at all | 13 (8.7) | 23 (20.2) | .01 |
|
|
A little bit | 8 (5.4) | 14 (12.3) | .05 |
|
|
Somewhat | 26 (17.4) | 29 (25.4) | .14 |
|
|
Quite a bit | 45 (30.2) | 23 (20.2) | .05 |
|
|
Extremely | 57 (38.3) | 25 (21.9) | .003 |