scholarly journals EDUCATION, LITERACY, NUMERACY AND HEALTH INFORMATION SEEKING IN LATER LIFE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S322-S322
Author(s):  
Takashi Yamashita ◽  
Anthony R Bardo ◽  
Roberto J Millar ◽  
Shalini Sahoo ◽  
Phyllis Cummins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Health Information Seeking ◽  
Education And Health ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Information Seeking Behaviors

Abstract Health information plays a critical role for health promotion and maintenance in later life. While health information seeking is primarily driven by need (e.g., health), significantly less is known about the roles of education and health-literacy. Thus, we examine complex pathways that link health information seeking behaviors with education and health literacy (decomposed into general literacy and numeracy), and how these pathways differ by health status among a nationally representative sample of Americans age 50 and older (n = 2,750). Data come from the 2012/2014 Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies. Multi-group structural equation models were used to examine the use of eight health information sources (newspapers, magazines, internet, radio, TV, books, friends/family, and health professionals) by health status (good vs. poor). Findings showed that literacy and numeracy are significant mediators of the relationship between education and health professional as an information source. Additionally, the mediation effects on health professionals by literacy status [indirect-effect (good vs. poor health) = 0.48 vs. 2.13, p < 0.05] and numeracy [indirect-effect (good vs. poor health) = -0.47 vs. -1.81, p < 0.05] were significantly moderated by health. At the same time, no moderated mediation effect was observed in the use of any other information sources. This study provides some of the first nationally representative evidence regarding how education functions through health literacy components to shape health information seeking behaviors by health status. Explanations and implications for differing effects of education, literacy, and numeracy on health information seeking in later life were evaluated.

scholarly journals Literacy, Numeracy, and Health Information Seeking Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in the United States

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 33-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi Yamashita ◽  
Anthony R. Bardo ◽  
Darren Liu ◽  
Phyllis A. Cummins
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Information Seeking ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Nationally Representative

Objectives: Health literacy is often viewed as an essential skill set for successfully seeking health information to make health-related decisions. However, this general understanding has yet to be established with the use of nationally representative data. The objective of this study was to provide the first nationally representative empirical evidence that links health information seeking behaviors with health literacy among middle-age to older adults in the United States. Methods: Data were obtained from the 2012/2014 Program for the International Assessment of Adult Literacy (PIAAC). Our analytic sample is representative of adults age 45 to 74 years ( N = 2,989). Results: Distinct components of health literacy (i.e., literacy and numeracy) were uniquely associated with the use of different health information sources (e.g., health professionals, the Internet, television). Discussion: Findings should be useful for government agencies and health care providers interested in targeting health communications, as well as researchers who focus on health disparities.

scholarly journals Health Information-seeking Behaviors: A Review of National Survey Instruments (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gyeonghui Jeong ◽  
Hanna Choi
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cancer Information ◽  
Health Information Seeking ◽  
Health Lifestyle ◽  
Survey Instruments ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Information Seeking Behaviors

BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has also emerged as an infodemic, worsening the harm of the pandemic for people. The situation has highlighted the need for a deeply rooted understanding of health-information seeking behaviors (HISB). OBJECTIVE The aim of this paper is to review and provide insight regarding methodologies and the construct of content HISB surveys by answering the following research question: what are the characteristics of measurement tools for assessing HISBs in nationally representative surveys around the world? METHODS The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) was used as a framework for the study. A data search was performed through six international and two Korean search engines between October 22, 2017, and November 13, 2017. Initially, the studies performed among nationally representative samples within the past 10 years were included to discover HISB survey instruments. The methodologies of the studies using HISB surveys were analyzed. For content analysis, two researchers reached a consensus through discussion by scrutinizing the contents of each survey questionnaire. RESULTS A total of 10 survey tools from six countries were identified after a review of 1,476 records from the search results. Five survey tools (HINTS, HTS, ANHCS, NHIS, and HTHS) from the United States (U.S.) and each of one tool from European Union (E.U.), France, Germany, Israel, and Poland were identified. National institutes or individual researchers designed these surveys by using the items of the dichotomous or Likert scale. Telephone or online surveys were commonly used targeting the adult population (≥ 15 years of age). From the content analysis, the domains of the survey items were categorized as follows: health (overall health, lifestyle, and cancer), information (health information and patient medical records), and channel (offline and online). All categories encompassed behavioral and attitude dimensions. A theoretical framework—an Information-Channel-Health (ICH) structure—for HISB was proposed. CONCLUSIONS The results can contribute to the development and implementation of survey tools for HISB with integrated questionnaire items. This will help to understand HISB trends and enhance patient engagement in national healthcare.

scholarly journals Correlates of Older Adults’ E-Health Information-Seeking Behaviors

Gerontology ◽  
2022 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Sara Pourrazavi ◽  
Kamiar Kouzekanani ◽  
Mohammad Asghari Jafarabadi ◽  
Shahrzad Bazargan-Hejazi ◽  
Mina Hashemiparast ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Positive Attitude ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Health Information Seeking ◽  
Information Seeking Behaviors

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The Internet is an important source for health information and a medium for older adults’ empowerment in health decision-making and self-caring. Therefore, we aimed to identify the potential motivators and probable barriers of e-health information-seeking behaviors (e-HISB) among older Iranian adults. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A cross-sectional study assessed the usefulness of self-efficacy, perceived encouragement, positive attitude toward e-HISB, perceived usefulness, challenges of being visited by physicians, and perceived barriers in predicting e-HISB in a sample of 320 older adults in Tabriz, Iran. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The self-efficacy for online information seeking, positive attitude toward e-HISB, and perceived usefulness increased the odds of e-HISB by 12.00%, 24.00%, and 15.00%, respectively. In addition, e-health literacy, conflicting information, distrust of online information, and web designs that were not senior-friendly were the major barriers to e-HISB. <b><i>Discussion/Conclusion:</i></b> The theoretical and practical implications of the motivators and barriers of e-HISB can be instrumental in designing and executing programs aimed at improving e-health literacy among older adults especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Dispersion of Health Information Seeking Behavior and Health Literacy in a State in the Southern United States: A Cross-Sectional Study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikita Rao ◽  
Elizabeth Tighe ◽  
Iris Feinberg
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Seeking Behavior ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Health Information Seeking ◽  
Health Information Seeking Behavior ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Information Seeking Behaviors

BACKGROUND Transmission of health information has changed over time from in-person communication to online sources. Patients are able to find, understand, and use their health information without meeting with a healthcare provider and are able to participate more in their healthcare management. In recent years, the Internet has emerged as the primary source of health information, though clinical providers remain the most credible source. Ease of access, anonymity, and busy schedules may be motivating factors to seek health information online. Social media has surfaced as a popular source of health information as it can provide news at a real-time speed. The increase in the breadth and depth of health information online has also led to a plethora of misinformation and individuals are often unable to discern fact from fiction. Competencies in health literacy can help individuals better understand health information and enhance patient decision-making as adequate health literacy is a precursor to positive health information seeking behaviors. Several factors such as age, sex, and socioeconomics are known to moderate the association between health literacy and health information seeking behaviors. OBJECTIVE This study aims to examine the relationship between health literacy and health information seeking behaviors for individuals living in a southern state in the United States considering different demographic factors. METHODS Participants 18 years of age and older were recruited using Qualtrics Research Services and were stratified to match statewide demographic characteristics of race and age. Demographics and frequency and source of health information was collected. The Health Literacy Questionnaire was used to collect self-reported health literacy experiences. SPSSV27 was used for analysis. RESULTS A total of 520 participants met the criteria and completed the survey (mean age 36.3, SD 12.79 years). The Internet was cited as the most used source of health information (mean 2.41, SD 0.93). Females are more likely to seek health information from doctors (r = 0.121, P < .01). Older individuals are less likely to seek health information from the Internet, social media, and friends (r = -.090 to -.225, P < .05) than younger individuals. Cluster analysis demonstrated that individuals with higher levels of health information seeking behaviors are more likely to seek information from multiple sources than those with lower levels of health information seeking behavior (mean range 3.05 – 4.09, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS Age and sex are significantly associated with health information seeking behaviors (HISB). Older adults may benefit from online resources to monitor their health conditions. Higher levels of health literacy are significantly associated with greater HISB. Targeted strategies to improve HISB among individuals with lower levels of health literacy may improve their access, understanding, and use of health information.

scholarly journals Health Information Seeking Behaviors of Ethnically Diverse Adolescents

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 652-660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasia E. Okoniewski ◽  
Young Ji Lee ◽  
Martha Rodriguez ◽  
Rebecca Schnall ◽  
Alexander F. H. Low
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Ethnically Diverse ◽  
Health Information Seeking ◽  
Information Seeking Behaviors ◽  
Ethnically Diverse Adolescents

scholarly journals Rural Men’s Health, Health Information Seeking, and Gender Identities: A Conceptual Theoretical Review of the Literature

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 863-876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley Hiebert ◽  
Beverly Leipert ◽  
Sandra Regan ◽  
Jacquelyn Burkell
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Men’S Health ◽  
Men's Health ◽  
Healthy Population ◽  
Health Information Seeking ◽  
Gender Identities ◽  
Information Seeking Behaviors

Beginning as early as 2009, recent shifts in Canadian health care delivery indicate that access to health information is essential to promote and maintain a healthy population. It is important to understand how and where various populations, such as underresourced rural populations, access health information so that public health agencies can develop and deliver appropriate information with, for, and in these contexts. There is a paucity of research that specifically examines how rural Canadian men seek health information; therefore, this review aimed to conceptualize this process based on three dynamic key constructs: health patterns of rural Canadians, health information–seeking behaviors, and rural gender identities. This conceptual theoretical literature review included 91 articles at the intersection of these three constructs. Discussion focuses on how residing in a rural region influences men’s health and health care access. Health information–seeking behaviors are discussed in terms of social networks and framed with a rural context. Connell’s theory of masculinity provides a useful approach to dissecting how rural men’s gender identities influence their health attitudes, and how such attitudes are embedded in rural social and cultural norms. Each major construct—health in rural Canada, health information seeking, and rural gender identities—is discussed to highlight how specific embodiments of masculinity may promote and inhibit men’s health information–seeking and positive health behaviors.

Educated but anxious: How emotional states and education levels combine to influence online health information seeking

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 649-660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Gall Myrick ◽  
Jessica Fitts Willoughby
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Appraisal Theory ◽  
Online Health Information ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Health Information Seeking ◽  
Psychological States ◽  
Education Levels ◽  
Online Health Information Seeking ◽  
Nationally Representative

This study combined conceptual frameworks from health information seeking, appraisal theory of emotions, and social determinants of health literatures to examine how emotional states and education predict online health information seeking. Nationally representative data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 4, Cycle 3) were used to test the roles of education, anxiety, anger, sadness, hope, happiness, and an education by anxiety interaction in predicting online health information seeking. Results suggest that women, tablet owners, smartphone owners, the college educated, those who are sad some or all of the time, and those who are anxious most of the time were significantly more likely to seek online health information. Conversely, being angry all of the time decreased the likelihood of seeking. Furthermore, two significant interactions emerged between anxiety and education levels. Discrete psychological states and demographic factors (gender and education) individually and jointly impact information seeking tendencies.

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