Online health information seeking among women: the moderating role of health consciousness

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashraf Sadat Ahadzadeh ◽  
Saeed Pahlevan Sharif ◽  
Fon Sim Ong

Purpose The purpose of this paper is two fold: to test the moderating effect of health consciousness (HC) on the influence of attitude towards internet (AI) internet usage for health information seeking (IHI) behaviour; and examine whether HC moderates the influence of perceived health risk (PHR) on the internet usage for health information which is mediated by perceived usefulness of internet (PUI) and AI usage in an integrated model underpinned by health belief model and the technology acceptance model. Design/methodology/approach Data obtained for the current study were collected using convenience sampling and the sample consisted of women who not only have internet access but used the internet in their daily life. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) method was used to test the research hypotheses developed from a sample of 270 respondents. Findings Findings revealed that HC moderates the influence of AI use for health information seeking. In addition, the results also showed that the positive indirect effect of PHR on IHI through PUI and AI usage is significant for high level of HC but not for the medium and low levels of HC. Originality/value Major contribution of this study is in the testing of the moderating role of HC on the mediating effect of perceived usefulness of the internet and attitude on PHR and IHI.

2005 ◽  
Vol 60 (7) ◽  
pp. 1467-1478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola J. Gray ◽  
Jonathan D. Klein ◽  
Peter R. Noyce ◽  
Tracy S. Sesselberg ◽  
Judith A. Cantrill

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (7_suppl) ◽  
pp. 190-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrique Soto Perez De Celis ◽  
Edgar Baltazar-Avalos ◽  
Lorena Ali Guadalupe Rocha-Rojo ◽  
Patricia Rojo-Castillo ◽  
Yanin Chavarri Guerra

190 Background: In order to improve the quality of the communication between the healthcare system and cancer survivors, it is fundamental to understand their preferred sources of health information. In low and middle-income countries (LMICs), little is known regarding which sources are used and trusted the most. This information is crucial to develop effective communication aimed at achieving high-quality equitable cancer care. Our objective was to explore the preferred sources of health information in Mexico, and to understand which factors influence these choices. Methods: We examined sources of health information among cancer survivors in Mexico City using questions from the Spanish Version of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS). The characteristics of survivors who preferred the internet were compared with those who preferred other sources (doctors, printed materials, family members, organizations) using Fisher’s exact test. Logistic regression was used to assess the effects of patient characteristics on health information-seeking. Results: Of 148 participants, 82 (56%) had internet access. Of the 88 patients who had sought health information, 61 (69%) listed the internet as their preferred source. Those 65 and older were less likely to seek health information, regardless of the source (OR 0.17, p < 0.0001). Survivors who preferred the internet were more likely to be younger (p = 0.001), male (p = 0.003) and to have a higher educational level (p = 0.009). Comorbidities, stage, cancer type, and time from diagnosis had no effect on patient preferences. Doctors were the most trusted source of information (85%), followed by the internet (28%) and government agencies (23%). Conclusions: Mexican patients who seek health information online are more likely to be young educated males. Doctors represent the most trusted source of information, particularly for patients from vulnerable populations (such as older women with low educational levels). High-quality healthcare information programs in LMICs should be designed taking these behaviors into account, and patients should continue to receive health information via their most trusted sources.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh KHademian ◽  
Mahsa Roozrokh Arshadi Montazer ◽  
Azam Aslani

Objective. This study aimed to assess web-based health information seeking and eHealth literacy among Iranian college students. Methods. The study was conducted in five colleges of the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in Iran during 2018. The data were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire consisting of seven questions on a 4-point Likert-type scale, with scores ranging from 7 to 28. These questions were: ′I know how to use the Internet to answer my questions about health′, ′I think there is enough information about health-related issues on the Internet′, ′I know the vocabulary used in health issues on the Internet′, ′I can tell high-quality health resources from low-quality health resources on the Internet′, ′I know how to use the health information I find on the Internet to help me′, ′I feel confident in using information from the Internet to make health decisions′, and ′Searching for health-related information on the Internet will increase my knowledge in this field′. High eHealth literacy level is defined as above the total mean score and low eHealth literacy level is defined as lower than the total mean score. Results. In all, 386 college students participated in the study. The results showed that the mean score of eHealth literacy was 19.11 out of 28; 205 participants (54.4%) had low eHealth literacy. In addition, the students used the Internet to search for information regarding diseases symptoms (70%), physical illnesses (67.1%), existing treatments (65%), and diagnosis (63.1%). Conclusion. The results showed that participants in this study usually searched for illnesses, symptoms, and treatments after they got sick and paid little attention to other aspects related to integral health.How to cite this article: KHademian F, Roozrokh M, Aslani A. Web-based health Information Seeking and eHealth Literacy among College students. A Self-report study. Invest. Educ. Enferm. 2020. 38(1):e08.


10.2196/14327 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. e14327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hasan Ashkanani ◽  
Rabab Asery ◽  
Fajer Bokubar ◽  
Noor AlAli ◽  
Shahad Mubarak ◽  
...  

Background Owing to the revolution in technology, the internet has become an important aspect of people’s lives. Modern technology is enabling people from diverse educational backgrounds to use the internet for several purposes, one of which is health information seeking. Recently, Web-based health information has become more popular among patients all over the world and among the general public. Objective This study aimed to investigate the use of Web-based health resources among undergraduate students from different faculties at Kuwait University. Methods The study employed a cross-sectional design with students selected from 8 faculties of Kuwait University, 4 faculties of Literature and 4 faculties of Science. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, and analysis was done using a chi-square test and binary logistic regression to determine the factors associated with seeking health information on the Web. Results The sample size obtained was 1132 with a response rate of 90.27% (1132/1254). Overall, the prevalence of students seeking Web-based health information was 92.66%. (1049/1132) The most significant factors associated with seeking health information on the Web were age, gender, faculty, year of study, primary source of internet, and level of experience with internet use. In total, 90.0% (325/361) of students who were aged older than 21 years used Web-based health information compared with 82.8% (275/332) of those who were aged 18 years. In addition, female students showed a higher prevalence (829/934, 88.8%) of Web-based health information seeking than males (210/270, 77.8%). Students who majored in faculties of Science were more likely to seek health information than those who majored in faculties of Literature. All the differences found in the study were statistically significant (P<.05). Conclusions The study concluded that many people use the internet for seeking health information. Sociodemographic factors have a significant association with Web-based health information seeking. Therefore, doctors must educate the public about the health information websites that can be trusted.


2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-86
Author(s):  
Elena Ng ◽  
Rabiah Adawiah Abu Seman ◽  
Jing Ni Tee

The internet has been recognized as one of the common health-seeking platforms that widely used to maintain physical and mental wellness. Malaysian internet users make use of the connection to obtain as their fundamental basis for a lifestyle change and to meet the difference needs, especially young adults who grown up in this technology era. There are little or limited research conducted particularly on young adult’s health information seeking behavior. The objective of this study is to determine the underlying factors influencing the utilization of internet for information seeking in the context of health among young adults in Malaysia. A total of 370 private university young adults were chosen randomly to take part in this quantitative research via convenience sampling. The research objectives were examined with the theoretical support of Health Belief Model and Technology Acceptance Model. Four underlying variables behind the influences of internet usage for health information seeking were recognized. The major findings of this study indicate that perceived usefulness was appropriate to act as the main predictor which empowering young adults to possess digital health sources from the web. Limitations are taken into consideration; future researchers are encouraged to expand study to bigger demographic group and acquire in-depth information using qualitative method on other underlying factors to better comprehend young adults’ attitude towards the use of technology communication for health support. This study is appropriate to act as guidance which ease for health provider to determine the strategies to come out with health care websites best targeting on young adults. Malaysia government could then address these barriers and generate alternatives to minimize or eliminate the barriers to increase the prevalence of health information seeking activity among young adults.


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