Chinese Older Adults’ Internet Use for Health Information

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 316-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen K. M. Wong ◽  
Dannii Y. Yeung ◽  
Henry C. Y. Ho ◽  
Kin-Po Tse ◽  
Chun-Yiu Lam
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Chinese Older Adults

scholarly journals Lifestyle Segmentation to Explain the Online Health Information–Seeking Behavior of Older Adults: Representative Telephone Survey

10.2196/15099 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. e15099 ◽  
Author(s):  
Winja Weber ◽  
Anne Reinhardt ◽  
Constanze Rossmann
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Information Seeking Behavior ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Health Information ◽  
Sociodemographic Variables ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Health Related

Background As a result of demographic changes, the number of people aged 60 years and older has been increasing steadily. Therefore, older adults have become more important as a target group for health communication efforts. Various studies show that online health information sources have gained importance among younger adults, but we know little about the health-related internet use of senior citizens in general and in particular about the variables explaining their online health-related information–seeking behavior. Media use studies indicate that in addition to sociodemographic variables, lifestyle factors might play a role in this context. Objective The aim of this study was to examine older people’s health-related internet use. Our study focused on the explanatory potential of lifestyle types over and above sociodemographic variables to predict older adults’ internet use for health information. Methods A telephone survey was conducted with a random sample of German adults aged 60 years and older (n=701) that was quota-allocated by gender, age, educational status, and degree of urbanity of their place of residence. Results The results revealed that participants used the internet infrequently (mean 1.82 [SD 1.07]), and medical personnel (mean 2.89 [SD 1.11]), family and friends (mean 2.86 [SD 1.21]), and health brochures (mean 2.85 [SD 1.21]) were their main sources of health information. A hierarchical cluster analysis based on values, interests, and leisure time activities revealed three different lifestyle types for adults aged over 60 years: the Sociable Adventurer, the Average Family Person, and the Uninterested Inactive. After adding these types as second-step predictors in a hierarchical regression model with sociodemographic variables (step 1), the explained variance increased significantly (R2=.02, P=.001), indicating that the Average Family Person and the Sociable Adventurer use the internet more often for health information than the Uninterested Inactive, over and above their sociodemographic attributes. Conclusions Our findings indicate that the internet still plays only a minor role in the health information–seeking behavior of older German adults. Nevertheless, there are subgroups including younger, more active, down-to-earth and family-oriented males that may be reached with online health information. Our findings suggest that lifestyle types should be taken into account when predicting health-related internet use behavior.

scholarly journals Lifestyle Segmentation to Explain the Online Health Information–Seeking Behavior of Older Adults: Representative Telephone Survey (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Winja Weber ◽  
Anne Reinhardt ◽  
Constanze Rossmann
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Information Seeking Behavior ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Health Information ◽  
Sociodemographic Variables ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Health Related

BACKGROUND As a result of demographic changes, the number of people aged 60 years and older has been increasing steadily. Therefore, older adults have become more important as a target group for health communication efforts. Various studies show that online health information sources have gained importance among younger adults, but we know little about the health-related internet use of senior citizens in general and in particular about the variables explaining their online health-related information–seeking behavior. Media use studies indicate that in addition to sociodemographic variables, lifestyle factors might play a role in this context. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine older people’s health-related internet use. Our study focused on the explanatory potential of lifestyle types over and above sociodemographic variables to predict older adults’ internet use for health information. METHODS A telephone survey was conducted with a random sample of German adults aged 60 years and older (n=701) that was quota-allocated by gender, age, educational status, and degree of urbanity of their place of residence. RESULTS The results revealed that participants used the internet infrequently (mean 1.82 [SD 1.07]), and medical personnel (mean 2.89 [SD 1.11]), family and friends (mean 2.86 [SD 1.21]), and health brochures (mean 2.85 [SD 1.21]) were their main sources of health information. A hierarchical cluster analysis based on values, interests, and leisure time activities revealed three different lifestyle types for adults aged over 60 years: the Sociable Adventurer, the Average Family Person, and the Uninterested Inactive. After adding these types as second-step predictors in a hierarchical regression model with sociodemographic variables (step 1), the explained variance increased significantly (<i>R</i><sup>2</sup>=.02, <i>P</i>=.001), indicating that the Average Family Person and the Sociable Adventurer use the internet more often for health information than the Uninterested Inactive, over and above their sociodemographic attributes. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that the internet still plays only a minor role in the health information–seeking behavior of older German adults. Nevertheless, there are subgroups including younger, more active, down-to-earth and family-oriented males that may be reached with online health information. Our findings suggest that lifestyle types should be taken into account when predicting health-related internet use behavior.

Searching Health Information Via the Web: Hong Kong Chinese Older Adults' Experience

2007 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Leung ◽  
Peggy Ko ◽  
Kin Sun Chan ◽  
Iris Chi ◽  
Nelson Chow
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Hong Kong Chinese ◽  
Chinese Older Adults ◽  
The Web

scholarly journals Digital Health Information as Friend or Foe: The Question of (Mis)Trust Among Older Internet Users

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 410-410
Author(s):  
Gul Seckin ◽  
Patricia Campbell ◽  
Megan Lawson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Older Age ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Health Related

Abstract Gathering health information is among the major motivations for getting online among older adults who want to be better prepared with knowledge to manage their health and personal care. Prior research also showed significant gender differences in health-related use of the Internet. This research examined the effect of Internet use for health information on (a) mistrust of physician, (b) empowerment, (c) self-care, and (d) worry and/or anxiety. The sample (N=710; Mean= 48.82, SD=16.43) was randomly drawn from a national probability-based online panel. We performed gender-stratified sub-sample analyses of older respondents (age ≥60, N= 194). Hierarchical linear regression analyses showed that there is a negative association between older age and feeling empowered because of using the internet for health information (β = -.23, p &lt; .05) and a positive association between older age and mistrust of diagnosis and/or treatment of physician (β = .19, p &lt; .05). Study respondents did not report better self-care as a result of obtaining information from the Internet (β = -.15, p &gt; .05). Lastly, older adults reported less worry and/or anxiety because of information stumbled upon the Internet that may not be accurate (β = -.25, p &lt; .05). Sub-sample analyses showed that there are gender differences. Particularly, older men reported greater mistrust (β = .32, p &lt; .05), and less worry (β = -.44, p ≤ .01) while these associations were not significant among older women. Results call for examination of the synergy of age and gender in perceived benefits of health-related Internet use.

scholarly journals Exploring Health Information Sharing Behavior of Chinese Elderly Adults on WeChat

Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 207
Author(s):  
Wei Wang ◽  
Xin Zhuang ◽  
Peng Shao
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Trust Model ◽  
Information Support ◽  
Elderly Adults ◽  
Good Opportunity ◽  
Chinese Older Adults ◽  
Health Information Sharing ◽  
Sharing Behavior

WeChat has increasingly become an important platform for users to acquire and share health information in China. However, little is known about elderly adults’ sharing behavior. This study aims to explore the characteristics and influencing factors of health information sharing behavior among Chinese older adults on WeChat, with the method both of questionnaire survey (N = 336) and in-depth interviews (N = 40). The study finds that sharing health information, mainly represented by four specific methods of forwarding, consulting, replying, and posting, has become an important part of the daily life of elderly adults on WeChat. Social media provide a good opportunity for the flow of health information. However, the purpose to share health information of Chinese older adults is mainly based on relationship maintenance more than real information support; they share health information to friends and relatives first, then to spouses and children, which does not follow the trust model as usual. Experience in online health information, authority orientation, and relationship orientation is positively associated with health information sharing behavior, however, there is no significant correlation between perceived health information credibility and health information sharing behavior. Moreover, social and cultural factors are the important explanation mechanism.

Older Adults’ Internet Use for Health Information: Digital Divide by Race/Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyunwoo Yoon ◽  
Yuri Jang ◽  
Phillip W. Vaughan ◽  
Michael Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Internet Technology ◽  
California Health Interview Survey ◽  
Minority Status ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Building upon literature suggesting low Internet use among racial/ethnic minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, this study examined how race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES) influence the Internet use for health information, addressing both independent and interactive effects. Using data from 17,704 older adults in the California Health Interview Survey, logistic regression models were estimated with race/ethnicity (Whites, African Americans, Latinos, and Asians), SES index, and the interaction between race/ethnicity and SES index. Overall, approximately 40% of participants were Internet-users for health information. Direct effects of race/ethnicity and SES—and their interactions—were all found to be significant. Minority status combined with the lowest levels of SES substantially reduced the odds of using Internet for health information. Findings suggest the combination of racial/ethnic minority status and low SES as a source of digital divide, and provide implications for Internet technology training for the target population.

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