Exploring Spirituality and Technology Receptivity Among a Sample of Older Blacks to Inform a Tailored Chronic Disease Self-Management mHealth Intervention

INTRODUCTION: Having multiple chronic conditions (MCC) is the most common health condition in older US adults of which Blacks are disproportionally affected. The management of each condition presents many challenges. Blacks in the US frequently cite spirituality as facilitator to well-being. More information is needed to understand the many aspects of spirituality that older Black patients use to manage MCCs. METHODS: In the current study, focus groups were conducted with 30 black men and women with MCCs to examine how spirituality can be incorporated into a mobile health intervention designed to increase chronic disease self-management (CDSM) skills by improving health literacy. Groups discussed spiritual practices used to facilitate CDSM and their perceptions about mobile technology use. RESULTS: Inductive thematic analysis suggested that a chronic disease wellness plan that acknowledges the relationship between spirituality and health was preferred by most participants. Additionally, the desire for mobile health (mHealth) among this group points to an opportunity for intervention. DISCUSSION: Creating culturally appropriate educational messages about CDSM that incorporate spiritual practices may be a useful method for building sustainable CDSM skills. Next steps include the development of a mHealth intervention prototype based on the results and pre-testing it prior to deployment.