Use of mobile devices by low-income, low-English proficiency Hispanic consumers

In 2011, reports from Google and the Nielson Company found 93% of U.S. Hispanics use a mobile phone regularly and 45% of users have smartphones. When compared to 34% of the general market, Hispanics have the highest rates of smartphone use among all ethnic groups, including Whites.

Such data on the Hispanic population, however, includes acculturated and U.S.-born residents, whose adoption of mobile technology may be more consistent with the general population. Our qualitative study sought to discover the level of mobile phone use among low-income (at or below 125% of Federal Poverty), low-English proficiency Hispanics.

In our qualitative study of 100 low-income Hispanics across California, 31 of whom were agricultural workers, all but two respondents had mobile phones and over half had web-enabled phones. Agricultural workers ranked their mobile phone among their most important possessions and strongly preferred mobile over land phones.

Respondents talked, texted, shared photos, used email, social media, calendars and alerts; watched and recorded videos; listened to music and played games. Nearly all accessed the Internet primarily through mobile devices.

Receiving health information on a mobile phone was perceived as highly desirable. Respondents stated a preference for receiving such information via text message and indicated they would pay up to $5/month for personalized health information.

This study also included 26 promotoras working with low-income Hispanics who reported using mobile phones extensively in outreach and voiced a desire for mobile-based teaching tools.

Low-income, low-English proficiency Hispanics are sophisticated users of mobile, which has important implications for outreach.