Information and communication technologies use among youth experiencing homelessness: associations with online health information seeking behavior

Given reported high rates of transience and service disengagement among youth experiencing homelessness (YEH), new forms of information and communication technologies (ICT) may represent a novel avenue for intervention. Although studies suggest that ICT use is surprisingly high among YEH, less is known about the factors associated with ICT use and the association between ICT use and online health information seeking behavior (OHISB) among YEH. Using Andersen's behavioral model of healthcare utilization as a theoretical framework, this study examined the prevalence of ICT use and its association with OHISB among YEH. Data were drawn from the cross-sectional study collected from YEH living in multi-sites (N = 1,426; M_age= 20.9). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the factors associated with ICT use (i.e., access to a smartphone, mobile phone, and social media profile ownership) and the association between each ICT use and OHISB. The results showed that differences in ICT use among YEH based on different predisposing factors including YEH’s gender, race/ethnicity, employment status, and involvement in the public system. Analysis also revealed that access to mobile and smart phones are significantly associated with OHISB among YEH. Results from this study underscore the capacity of ICT use to efficiently address the health-related requirements of YEH and enhance their health outcomes. The creation of technology-driven interventions, specifically utilizing ICTs, has the potential to assist YEH in accessing diverse information and resources related to their health, thereby fostering improvements in their OHISB.