Date Presented 04/05/19
Primary Author and Speaker: Brandon Stanley
Additional Authors and Speakers: Brian Gregg, Enrique Smith-Forbes
Contributing Authors: Joshua Springer, Kathleen Yancosek
PURPOSE: This study sought to inform occupational therapists and allied health medical professionals about the impact of mobile technology use by military service members on everyday living. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to determine the impact of mobile technology use on social participation, occupation, and wellness of military service members. This study identifies domains in occupational therapy practice that will support preventative health and wellness programming initiatives and research for mobile technology use in military populations.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional Survey
METHOD: A 64-item questionnaire was created by the primary investigator and a multidisciplinary panel of 11 healthcare professionals. Survey items consisted of questions in 3 categories: participation, occupation, and wellness. The survey was administered to a convenience sample of pre-determined clusters of military members (Officers, Enlisted, Active Duty, Reserves, and National Guard of all military branches). Field observations at 10 public gathering spots (pharmacy, medical waiting areas) were conducted.
RESULTS: A total of n=385 surveys were completed. The mean age of survey respondents was 29±5.93 years and 60% were male. Smartphones were the most adopted mobile technology (93%) while the basic cell phone was the least adopted (12.2%). Texting was reported as the primary method of communication at home (76.6%) and at work (77.4%). The mobile device was reported as something few respondents could do without (13.2%) and often used to make everyday decisions (83.4%). Mobile technology also impacted sleep quality by interrupting sleep (54%) and prolonging sleep onset (86.2%). Finally, mobile technology was widely accepted to facilitate future medical treatment encounters (83.1%).
CONCLUSION: Consistent with current literature, results show positive and negative effects of mobile technologies in the areas of participation, occupation, and overall wellness. Self-reports of survey respondents suggest dependence, over connectedness, and the need for instant gratification negatively impacting service members’ levels of anxiety, sleep quality, attention to task, and independent decision-making skills. Results of this study provide foundational knowledge on the impact of mobile technology which, may be used to support future occupational therapy research endeavors in tele-health, rehabilitation, health and wellness promotion.
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