The Health Information Seeking Behavior of Punjabi Elders During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Canada.

Health Information Seeking Behavior (HISB) refers to the behavior and strategies used to attain, clarify, or confirm health information. The uptake of health information depends on system-level and individual-level factors. The purpose of the present study is to understand the sources from which Punjabi elders obtain COVID-19 vaccine-related information and their information seeking behavior. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 391 Punjabi elders aged 50+ years in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Ontario. The survey questions included the need for COVID-19 vaccine information, the type of information sought, sources of information, and barriers to seeking information. Descriptive analysis was conducted using frequencies and percentages, and logistic regression was performed to understand the associations between participants' sociodemographic characteristics and HISB. The results suggested that Punjabi elders are more likely to use informal sources and less likely to seek information from health professionals and government health and wellness websites. The results also suggested that most participants do not cross-check their information with other sources and are more likely to cross-check the information with family/friends, compared to credible care providers, across all demographics. Ultimately, there may be a need for stakeholders to collaborate to regulate the accuracy and type of health-information that is disseminated through media, and to tailor health communication to the health information seeking behavior of this population.

Patient-reported primary health care experiences in Canada: The challenges faced by Nepalese immigrant men.

Background: Despite the Canadian universal healthcare system, new immigrants face a number of challenges in accessing primary healthcare (PHC) services. As immigration to Canada consistently increases, understanding various types of barriers to PHC and how they differ across different sub-groups is critical. We conducted a qualitative study among Nepalese immigrant men to learn from their experience with PHC access to inform healthcare providers, stakeholders, and policymakers to devise feasible approaches to enhancing access to care. Methods: We undertook a qualitative research approach employing focus groups among a sample of first-generation Nepalese immigrant men who had prior experience with accessing PHC in Canada. Data collection and analysis: We conducted six focus groups in total with 34 participants (each group comprising 5-7 participants) in their preferred language, Nepalese, or English. Demographic information was collected prior to each focus group. Transcriptions of the discussions were prepared, and thematic analysis was employed in the qualitative data set. Results: Participants reported experiencing barriers at two stages: before accessing PHC services and after accessing PHC services. The barriers before accessing PHC were long wait time for an appointment with physicians, limited knowledge of own health- and services-related issues, limited service availability hours, cultural differences in health practices, and transportation and work-related challenges. The barriers after accessing PHC were long wait time in the clinic to meet with the physicians at the time of appointment, communication challenges and misunderstandings, high healthcare costs associated with dental and vision care and prescribed medicines, and inappropriate behaviours and practices of doctors and service providers. To our knowledge, this is the first study in Canada which explored barriers faced by Nepalese immigrant men in accessing PHC. Conclusions: This study identifies barriers to accessing PHC in Canada from a group of immigrant men's perspective. It is important to account for these while making any reforms and adding new care services to the existing healthcare system so that they are equitable for these groups of individuals as well.

International medical graduates as untapped resource for community health and wellness.

Objectives: This study examines the potential of International Medical Graduates (IMG) in contributing to the health and wellness of a community, particularly through transdisciplinary knowledge engagement or mobilization in diverse settings. We aimed to gather IMGs' perspectives on potential non-physician roles to enhance community health and wellness using a qualitative descriptive approach. Methods: Eight focus groups were conducted among IMGs in Canada between June and August 2020 (n = 42), followed by a thematic analysis of the verbatim transcripts. Two independent reviewers carried out inductive coding of the data. Emergent themes and sub-themes were identified. Through an iterative process incorporating insights from community partners, themes were refined to capture the lived experiences of IMGs in this context. Results: We sought to engage this population in discussions to capture their perspectives on contributions to health and wellness. Participants suggested various alternative contribution pathways such as knowledge mobilization, research generation, and supportive community roles. They also identified individual and systemic challenges. Finally, strategies for change were proposed on personal, professional, and organizational levels. Conclusion: The IMGs put forward various ideas and insights regarding their potential contributions to community health and wellness. They can be valuable assets in promoting health and improving health literacy. It is important to recognize that IMGs are eager to take on significant roles in the community and that they are currently an underused resource for enhancing community health and wellness.

Exploring community- and systemic-level gender-based violence in visible minority women across five countries from an intersectionality lens: protocol for a mixed-methods systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: The intersection of sexism with racism and xenophobia disproportionately exposes visible minority women to gender-based violence (GBV) at the community and systemic levels. This study aims to understand the knowledge strengths and gaps on GBV against visible minority women with an intersectional lens, revealing systemic barriers to accessing support and how these barriers intensify GBV and its effects. It will also identify effective and ineffective policies and practices in the literature to develop strategies addressing the root causes of GBV and supporting survivors. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will conduct a mixed-methods systematic review using a convergent integrated approach to examine current literature on community- and systemic-level GBV against visible minority women. We will follow Joanna Briggs Institute's guidelines to converge data from both qualitative and quantitative studies to obtain an integrated qualitative synthesis on GBV in five countries: Canada, the USA, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. This analysis will be conducted following Thomas and Harden's thematic synthesis guidelines. Community members with lived experience of GBV will actively contribute to improving the relevance and interpretation of results, following a community-engaged research approach. Themes are expected to unveil various aspects of community- and systemic-level GBV due to the intersection of racism, xenophobia and sexism, alongside barriers in addressing GBV and research gaps. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Since this study does not involve primary data collection or the use of identifiable human data, no ethical approval will be needed. Results will be disseminated through integrated knowledge translation, involving collaboration with participants who have lived experience of GBV. The findings will be used to identify specific areas of policy intervention, including adopting culturally sensitive approaches, improving school and workplace policies and promoting rights of visible minority women.

Defining the Black population in Canadian health research: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: In the context of health research in Canada, various terms and labels have been employed to reference the Black population. This practice has had the unintended consequence of diminishing the comparability and efficiency of studies. Furthermore, using a broad term such as 'Black' may fail to encompass the diversity and intricacy of the ethnocultural backgrounds of people who are racialised as such. It may also obscure the subtleties of their experiences and health outcomes. This study aims to examine how health researchers have defined Black within the scope of their work and different labels used to identify the Black population in Canada. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We have developed and employed a comprehensive and sensitive search strategy to identify articles concerning the health and wellness of the Black population in Canada. Both peer-reviewed and grey literature will be searched. Original articles published in both English and French will be included. The screening process will consist of two stages: the title and abstract screening, followed by a thorough examination of full-text articles. Additionally, single citation tracking and manual search of reference lists will be conducted. Study characteristics and relevant information on the definition of the Black population will be extracted, followed by reflective thematic analysis and presentation of the key findings. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This review will not require ethical approval. We will disseminate the results through meetings with stakeholders. From the beginning, a knowledge translation approach was decided upon following consultation with citizen researchers and community champions. Our findings will also be disseminated through oral and poster presentations, peer-reviewed publications, and social media.

Cancer screening research in Bangladesh: Insights from a scoping review.

This scoping review summarises the findings of research conducted on cancer screening in Bangladesh, including the prevalence, awareness, barriers, and evaluation of screening programmes, by performing a comprehensive search of electronic databases and gray literature. 25 studies that met inclusion criteria were included in the final analysis. Most of the studies were about screening for cervical cancer, were quantitative, were cross-sectional, and were conducted in hospital settings. The main challenges to screening uptake were shyness, fear, a lack of knowledge, and an inadequate understanding of the concept of screening. Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) was found to be a simple and cost-efficient way to detect early-stage cervical cancer. However, breast self-examination (BSE) was reported to be insufficient. Education was found to have a positive impact on cancer screening knowledge and practice, but more needs to be done to improve screening rates, such as the utilisation of media, particularly in rural areas. The results of this scoping review highlight Bangladesh's low cancer screening prevalence and uptake and suggest that targeted awareness campaigns and enhanced access to screening services are required to increase cancer screening uptake and reduce the cancer burden in Bangladesh.

Involuntary delayed retirement and mental health of older adults.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the association of multiple mental health measures with involuntary delayed retirement (IDR) in working older adults (≥ 65 years) in the USA. METHODS: Data were derived from the Health and Retirement Study, focusing on two combined waves of working older adults in 2010 and 2012. IDR was measured as the desire to stop working but the inability to do so due to financial constraints. In addition, mental health outcomes included depression, anxiety, anger-in, and anger-out. Using Stata 16.0, primary analyses were conducted for descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression. The odds ratios were reported with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Older adults who reported IDR were more likely to have depression (OR = 3.20, CI = 1.03-9.88), anxiety (OR = 2.12, CI = 1.00-5.18), and anger-in (OR = 1.71, CI = 1.12-2.60) compared to those who did not report IDR. However, IDR was not significantly associated with anger-out in older adults who worked past the traditional retirement age. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that IDR is likely to act as a stressor and affects the mental health of older adults aged 65 and more. Policymakers should pay more attention to helping older adults maintain positive mental health even if they are required to work past retirement age.

Community Ecosystem Mapping: A Foundational Step for Effective Community Engagement in Research and Knowledge Mobilization.

Community engagement is a key strategy for achieving various goals, such as social and environmental change, sustainable development, health promotion, and community building. It involves collaborations and partnerships with the community that help mobilize resources, impact systems, rectify partner dynamics, and function as catalysts for modifying policies, programs, and practices. It also ensures mutual trust among all parties involved, giving community members greater personal agency and involvement potential. We have learned a range of practical aspects of community engagement with communities, particularly with immigrant/racialized communities, by running a community-engaged program of research on the health and wellness issues of immigrant/racialized communities in Calgary, Canada. In this article, we focus on a crucial early step of community engagement-understanding the community ecosystem. The community ecosystem refers to its human, social, and cultural makeups. Understanding this ecosystem requires conscious efforts to comprehend the demography, participate in socio-cultural events, identify community spots, reach out to hard-to-access groups, find the community champions and communication channels/organizations, and reaching out to them to establish relationships. Understanding the community ecosystem allows us to identify the pivotal factors, key actors, and pulse of the community that we are engaging with. This enables us to build mutual trust and goals for research and knowledge mobilization. Subsequently, an empowered, continual, and collaborative partnership becomes possible, resulting in sustained and desirable outcomes.

Color coded health data: factors related to willingness to share health information in South Asian community members in Canada.

Introduction: Data unavailability poses multiple challenges in many health fields, especially within ethnic subgroups in Canada, who may be hesitant to share their health data with researchers. Since health information availability is controlled by the participant, it is important to understand the willingness to share health information by an ethnic population to increase data availability within ethnocultural communities. Methods: We employed a qualitative descriptive approach to better understand willingness to share health information by South Asian participants and operated through a lens that considered the cultural and sociodemographic aspect of ethnocultural communities. A total of 22 in-depth interviews were conducted between March and July 2020. Results: The results of this study show that health researchers should aim to develop a mutually beneficial information-sharing partnership with communities, with an emphasis on the ethnocultural and socio-ecological aspects of health within populations. Conclusion: The findings support the need for culturally sensitive and respectful engagement with the community, ethically sound research practices that make participants feel comfortable in sharing their information, and an easy sharing process to share health information feasibly.

Unmet Primary Health Care Needs among Nepalese Immigrant Population in Canada.

BACKGROUND: Immigrants represent over one-fifth (21.9%) of the Canadian population, which is an increasing trend. Primary care is a gateway to accessing the healthcare system for the majority of Canadians seeking medical services; however, Canada reported a growing shortage of healthcare providers, mainly primary care practitioners. Canadians, including immigrants, encounter many unmet healthcare needs due to various reasons. This study aimed to assess unmet healthcare (UHC) needs and associated factors among Nepalese immigrants residing in Calgary. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted in 2019. UHC needs were measured based on a single-item question: "During the past 12 months, was there ever a time that you felt you needed medical help, but you did not receive it". A follow-up question was asked to learn about associated unmet needs factors, and the responses were categorized into availability, accessibility, and acceptability. Descriptive and multivariable logistic regression was employed to assess the association between UHC needs and its predictors by using STATA version 14.2. RESULTS: Of 401 study participants, nearly half of the participants (n = 187; 46.63%) reported UHC needs, which was not significantly different among male and female participants (p = 0.718). UHC needs were nearly two times higher among those aged 26-45 (AOR 1.93) and those ≥56 years (AOR 2.17) compared to those under 25 years of age. The top reasons reported for unmet needs were long waits to access care (67.91%), healthcare costs (57.22%), and lack of knowing where to get help (31.55%). Overall, "services availability when required" was a leading obstacle that accounted for UHC needs (n = 137, 73.26%). Nearly two-thirds (n = 121, 64.71%) of participants reported that "accessibility of services" was a barrier, followed by "acceptability (n = 107, 57.22%). Those who reported UHC needs also reported an impact on their lives personally and economically. The most commonly reported personal impact was mental health impact, including worry, anxiety, and stress (67.38%). The most common economic impact reported due to UHC needs was increased use of over-the-counter drugs (33.16%) and increased healthcare costs (17.20%). CONCLUSIONS: UHC needs are presented in the Nepalese immigrant population. Accessibility to healthcare is limited for several reasons: waiting time, cost, distance, and unavailability of services. UHC needs impact individuals' personal health, daily life activities, and financial capacity. Strategies to improve access to PHC for disadvantaged populations are crucial and need to be tackled effectively.

Employing diffusion of innovation theory for 'not missing the mass' in community-engaged research.

INTRODUCTION: Engaging with minority communities, such as immigrants and ethnic minorities, often involves adopting top-down approaches, wherein researchers and policymakers provide solutions based on their perspective. However, these approaches may not adequately address the needs and preferences of the community members, who have valuable insights and experiences to share. Therefore, community-engaged approaches, which involve collaborative partnerships between community members and researchers to identify issues, co-create solutions, and recommend policy changes, are becoming more recognized for their effectiveness and relevance. Yet, prevailing community engagement efforts often focus on easily reachable and already engaged segments of the community, sometimes overlooking the broader population. METHODS: When working with immigrant and racialized communities, we encountered difficulties in engaging the wider community through traditional researcher-led approaches. We realized that overcoming these challenges required innovative strategies rooted in community-based participatory research principles and the diffusion of innovation theory. We recognized that a nuanced understanding of the community's dynamics and preferences was crucial in shaping our approach and building trust and rapport with the community members. RESULTS: The need to bridge the gap between researcher-led initiatives and community-driven involvement has never been more pronounced. Our experience, chronicled in this article, highlights the journey of our research program with an immigrant/racialized community. This reflection enhances our comprehension of community engagement that deliberately strives to reach a larger cross-section of the community. By providing practical methods for reaching the broader community and navigating the intricacies of engagement, we aim to assist fellow researchers in conducting effective community-engaged research across various minority communities. CONCLUSION: In sharing our insights and successful strategies for community engagement, we hope to contribute to the field's knowledge. Our commitment to fostering meaningful collaboration underscores the importance of co-creating solutions that resonate with the diverse voices within these communities. Through these efforts, we envision a more inclusive and impactful approach to addressing the complex challenges faced by minority populations.

Conceptualising community engagement as an infinite game implemented through finite games of 'research', 'community organising' and 'knowledge mobilisation'.

Meaningful community engagement process involves focusing on the community needs, building community capacity and employing culturally tailored and community-specific strategies. In the current practices of community-engaged health and wellness research, generally, community engagement activities commence with the beginning of a particular research project on a specific topic and end with the completion of the project. The outcomes of the community engagement, including the trust, partnership and contribution of the community to research, thus remain limited to that specific project and are not generally transferred and fostered further to the following project on a different topic. In this viewpoint article, we discussed a philosophical approach to community engagement that proposes to juxtapose community engagement for the specific short-term research project and the overarching long-term programme of research with the finite game and infinite game concepts, respectively. A finite game is a concept of a game where the players are known, rules are fixed and when the agreed-upon goal is achieved, the game ends. On the other hand, in infinite games, the players may be both known and unknown, have no externally fixed rules and have the objective of continuing the game beyond a particular research project. We believe community engagement needs to be conducted as an infinite game that is, at the programme of research level, where the goal of the respective activities is not to complete a research project but to successfully engage the community itself is the goal. While conducting various research projects, that is, finite games, the researchers need to keep an infinite game mindset throughout, which includes working with the community for a just cause, building trust and community capacity to maximise their contribution to research, prioritising community needs and having the courage to lead the community if need be. Patient or Public Contribution: While preparing this manuscript, we have partnered actively with community champions, activists, community scholars and citizen researchers at the community level from the very beginning. We had regular interactions with them to get their valuable and insightful inputs in shaping our reflections. Their involvement as coauthors in this paper also provided a learning opportunity for them and facilitated them to gain insight on knowledge engagement. All authors support greater community/citizen/public involvement in research in an equitable manner.

Choosing Alternative Career Pathways after Immigration: Aspects Internationally Educated Physicians Consider when Narrowing down Non-Physician Career Choices.

Many developed countries admit internationally educated physicians (IEPs) as highly skilled migrants. The majority of IEPs arrive with the intention of becoming licensed physicians to no avail, resulting in underemployment and underutilization of this highly skilled group of people. Alternative careers in the health and wellness sector provide IEPs opportunities to use their skills and reclaim their lost professional identity; however, this path also includes great challenges. In this study, we determined factors that affect IEPs' decisions regarding their choice of alternative jobs. We conducted eight focus groups with 42 IEPs in Canada. Factors affecting IEPs' career decisions were related to their individual situations and tangible aspects of career exploration, including resources and skills. A number of factors were associated with IEPs' personal interests and goals, such as a passion for a particular career, which also varied across participants. Overall, IEPs interested in alternative careers took an adaptive approach, largely influenced by the need to earn a living in a foreign country and accommodate family needs and responsibilities.

Alternative Careers toward Job Market Integration: Barriers Faced by International Medical Graduates in Canada.

International Medical Graduates (IMGs), who completed their medical degree and training outside Canada constitute a notable portion of the skilled migrants of the country. However, due to a long and uncertain licensure process and limited opportunities many IMGs look for alternative career pathways where they can utilize their learned skills. Alternative careers in the health and wellness sector may offer such opportunities; however, IMGs' success in these pathways were also less evident despite their high potential. In this study, we investigated the barriers that IMGs stated to face when attempting alternative jobs in Canada. Eight focus groups with 42 IMGs in Canada were conducted. Using a thematic analysis approach, we identified that IMGs encounter these barriers in different stages of their resettlement journey in Canada, including both the pre-migration and post-migration phases. In the pre-migration phase, IMGs were not aware of the success rates of the licensing pathways and did not have sufficient information regarding potential alternative careers. In the post-migration phase, the lack of information continues to affect IMGs where IMGs exhaust their resources pursuing alternative careers without proper guidance and support. Further, IMGs struggle with taking preparation for alternative careers by obtaining further certifications and completing other prerequisites for some barriers, such as financial constraints. While looking for jobs, some IMGs perceived systemic discrimination such as non-recognition of their credentials and experience. Furthermore, the mismatch of expectations and limited growth opportunities offered by potential careers serve to disincentivize IMGs from pursuing an alternative career. Addressing the current employment inequity experienced by IMGs in Canada warrants research collaborations between organizations supporting IMGs and policymakers that target known barriers to the pursuit of alternative careers by IMGs.

The Benefits, Challenges, and Strategies toward Establishing a Community-Engaged Knowledge Hub: An Integrative Review.

Current knowledge creation and mobilization efforts are concentrated in academic institutions. A community-engaged knowledge hub (CEKH) has the potential for transdisciplinary and cross-sectorial collaboration between knowledge producers, mobilizers, and users to develop more relevant and effective research practices as well as to increase community capacity in terms of knowledge production. Objective: To summarize existing original research articles on knowledge hubs or platforms and to identify the benefits, challenges, and ways to address challenges when developing a CEKH. Methods: This study followed a systematic integrative review design. Following a comprehensive search of academic and grey literature databases, we screened 9030 unique articles using predetermined inclusion criteria and identified 20 studies for the final synthesis. We employed thematic analysis to summarize the results. Results: The focus of the majority of these knowledge mobilization hubs was related to health and wellness. Knowledge hubs have a multitude of benefits for the key stakeholders including academics, communities, service providers, and policymakers, including improving dissemination processes, providing more effective community interventions, ensuring informed care, and creating policy assessment tools. Challenges in creating knowledge hubs are generally consistent for all stakeholders, rather than for individual stakeholders, and typically pertain to funding, resources, and conflicting perspectives. As such, strategies to address challenges are also emphasized and should be executed in unison. Conclusions: This study informs the development of a future CEKH through the identification of the benefits, challenges, and strategies to mitigate challenges when developing knowledge hubs. This study addresses a literature gap regarding the comparisons of knowledge hubs and stakeholder experiences.

Understanding misinformation infodemic during public health emergencies due to large-scale disease outbreaks: a rapid review.

Aim: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths, impacted the flow of life and resulted in an immeasurable amount of socio-economic damage. However, not all of this damage is attributable to the disease itself; much of it has occurred due to the prevailing misinformation around COVID-19. This rapid integrative review will draw on knowledge from the literature about misinformation during previous abrupt large-scale infectious disease outbreaks to enable policymakers, governments and health institutions to proactively mitigate the spread and effect of misinformation. Subject and methods: For this rapid integrative review, we systematically searched MEDLINE and Google Scholar and extracted the literature on misinformation during abrupt large-scale infectious disease outbreaks since 2000. We screened articles using predetermined inclusion criteria. We followed an updated methodology for integrated reviews and adjusted it for our rapid review approach. Results: We found widespread misinformation in all aspects of large-scale infectious disease outbreaks since 2000, including prevention, treatment, risk factor, transmission mode, complications and vaccines. Conspiracy theories also prevailed, particularly involving vaccines. Misinformation most frequently has been reported regarding Ebola, and women and youth are particularly vulnerable to misinformation. A lack of scientific knowledge by individuals and a lack of trust in the government increased the consumption of misinformation, which is disseminated quickly by the unregulated media, particularly social media. Conclusion: This review identified the nature and pattern of misinformation during large-scale infectious disease outbreaks, which could potentially be used to address misinformation during the ongoing COVID-19 or any future pandemic.

Identifying Challenges, Enabling Practices, and Reviewing Existing Policies Regarding Digital Equity and Digital Divide Toward Smart and Healthy Cities: Protocol for an Integrative Review.

BACKGROUND: Digital equity denotes that all individuals and communities have equitable access to the information technology required to participate in digital life and can fully capitalize on this technology for their individual and community gain and benefits. Recent research highlighted that COVID-19 heightened the existing structural inequities and further exacerbated the technology-related social divide, especially for racialized communities, including new immigrants, refugees, and ethnic minorities. The intersection of challenges associated with racial identity (eg, racial discrimination and cultural differences), socioeconomic marginalization, and age- and gender-related barriers affects their access to health and social services, education, economic activity, and social life owing to digital inequity. OBJECTIVE: Our aim is to understand the current state of knowledge on digital equity and the digital divide (which is often considered a complex social-political challenge) among racialized communities in urban cities of high-income countries and how they impact the social interactions, economic activities, and mental well-being of racialized city dwellers. METHODS: We will conduct an integrative review adapting the Whittemore and Knafl methodology to summarize past empirical or theoretical literature describing digital equity issues pertaining to urban racialized communities. The context will be limited to studies on multicultural cities in high-income countries (eg, Calgary, Alberta) in the last 10 years. We will use a comprehensive search of 8 major databases across multiple disciplines and gray literature (eg, Google Scholar), using appropriate search terms related to digital "in/equity" and "divide." A 2-stage screening will be conducted, including single citation tracking and a hand search of reference lists. Results will be synthesized using thematic analysis guidelines. RESULTS: As of August 25, 2022, we have completed a systematic search of 8 major academic databases from multiple disciplines, gray literature, and citation or hand searching. After duplicate removal, we identified 8647 articles from all sources. Two independent reviewers are expected to complete the 2-step screening (title, abstract, and full-text screening) using Covidence followed by data extraction and analysis in 4 months (by December 2022). Data will be extracted regarding digital equity-related initiatives, programs, activities, research findings, issues, barriers, policies, recommendations, etc. Thematic analysis will reveal how barriers and facilitators of digital equity affect or benefit racialized population groups and what social, material, and systemic issues need to be addressed to establish digital equity for racialized communities in the context of a multicultural city. CONCLUSIONS: This project will inform public policy about digital inequity alongside conventional systemic inequities (eg, education and income levels); promote digital equity by exploring and examining the pattern, extent, and determinants and barriers of digital inequity across sociodemographic variables and groups; and analyze its interconnectedness with spatial dimensions and variations of the urban sphere (geographic differences). INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/40068.