Community pharmacists’ perspectives of online health-related information: A qualitative insight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 132-139
Author(s):  
Ong See Wan ◽  
Mohamed Azmi Hassali ◽  
Fahad Saleem
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Kuala Lumpur ◽  
Website Evaluation ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Health Related

Background: The Internet is a resource used by health professionals as well as the public to access health information. Within this context, little is reported on community pharmacists’ (CPs’) perceptions of online health-related information. The objective of this study was to explore the attitudes of Malaysian CPs towards online health-related information. Methods: A qualitative research method was adopted with face-to-face interviews, using a semi-structured interview guide. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to recruit a convenient sample of CPs who were practising in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were analysed by the research team using a thematic content analysis framework. Results: Eleven CPs participated in the study. Participants reported that online health-related information was accessible, useful, fast, and in some respects, the Internet is a unique source of information. It was reported that there was a need to establish websites for trusted information. CPs also reported that training was needed in Internet searching and website evaluation skills. Most information accessed by CPs related to drugs and diseases and to knowledge-based information. Barriers to efficacy of Internet usage were related to the reliability and volume of information available on the Internet. Conclusion: Frequent use of online health-related information among CPs was reported. Many CPs supported the use of the Internet for health-related information but certain reservations were also reported. An analysis of the reasons for information seeking and barriers suggests that a wider range of influences on health information seeking should be investigated.

scholarly journals ONLINE HEALTH INFORMATION SEEKING DURING ADOLESCENCE: A QUANTITATIVE STUDY REGARDING ROMANIAN TEENAGERS

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alina Catalina Duduciuc
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Academic Researchers ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Online Health Information Seeking ◽  
Source Of Information

How Internet is used by individuals from different age groups to keep their health in check has become one of the major issue of both academic researchers and policy makers. The topic derives mainly from 2000-2014 data which converge towards an Internet accessing pattern as source of information regarding health. Previous studies showed that teenagers are the main consumers of the Internet and they often start surfing for online health concerns on social media (Facebook, Twitter) and popular engines (Google, Yahoo). The current paper describes how Romanian teenagers (N=161, aged 14-19) browse for online topics to keep their health in check. Based on a questionnaire, the data revealed that the Internet is used to a certain extent by more than a third of the respondents for health topics and over half of them consider that the health related information helped them to achieve a good trim. Overall, the research outcomes showed that the adolescents seem less interested in using Internet for health information and sometimes challenge the credibility of online health content.

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 Online Health Information Seeking by Parents for Their Children: Systematic Review and Agenda for Further Research

10.2196/19985 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. e19985
Author(s):  
Christian Kubb ◽  
Heather M Foran
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Online Health Information ◽  
Health Information Seeking ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Online Health Information Seeking ◽  
The Web

Background Parents commonly use the internet to search for information about their child’s health-related symptoms and guide parental health-related decisions. Despite the impact of parental online health seeking on offline health behaviors, this area of research remains understudied. Previous literature has not adequately distinguished searched behaviors when searching for oneself or one`s child. Objective The purpose of this review is to examine prevalences and associated variables of parent-child online health information seeking; investigate parents’ health-related online behavior regarding how they find, use, and evaluate information; and identify barriers and concerns that they experience during the search. Based on this analysis, we develop a conceptual model of potentially important variables of proxy online health information seeking, with a focus on building an agenda for further research. Methods We conducted a comprehensive systematic literature review of the PsycINFO, JMIR, and PubMed electronic databases. Studies between January 1994 and June 2018 were considered. The conceptual model was developed using an inductive mixed methods approach based on the investigated variables in the study sample. Results A total of 33 studies met the inclusion criteria. Findings suggest that parents worldwide are heavy online users of health-related information for their children across highly diverse circumstances. A total of 6 studies found high parental health anxiety, with prevalences ranging from 14% to 52%. Although parents reported wishing for more guidance from their pediatrician on how to find reliable information, they rarely discussed retrieved information from the web. The conceptual model of proxy online health information seeking includes 49 variables. Conclusions This systematic review identifies important gaps regarding the influence of health-related information on parents’ health behavior and outcomes. Follow-up studies are required to offer parents guidance on how to use the web for health purposes in an effective way, as well as solutions to the multifaceted problems during or after online health information seeking for their child. The conceptual model with the number of studies in each model category listed highlights how previous studies have hardly considered relational variables between the parent and child. An agenda for future research is presented.

Quality of Health Information on the Internet

2009 ◽  
pp. 443-455
Author(s):  
Kleopatra Alamantariotou
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Information Quality ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
The Internet ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Use Of The Internet ◽  
Effective Use

Recent statistics show that the World Wide Web has now grown to over 100 million sites: a phenomenal expansion in only 15 years (Mulligan 2007). It has been estimated that there are 100,000 sites offering health related information (Wilson 2002). As the amount of health information increases, the public find it increasingly difficult to decide what to accept and what to reject (Burgess 2007). Searching for information on the internet is both deceptively easy and the same time frustratingly difficult (Kiley 2002). The challenge for consumers is to find high quality, relevant information as quickly as possible. There has been ongoing debate about the quality of information aimed at patients and the general public and opinions differ on how it can be improved (Stepperd 1999). The purpose of this chapter is to provide a brief overview of the different perspectives on information quality and to review the main criteria for assessing the quality of health information on the internet. Pointers are provided to enable both clinicians and patients find high quality information sources. An understanding of these issues should help health professionals and patients to make effective use of the internet.

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.

scholarly journals Understanding the Chinese Hui Ethnic Minority’s Information Seeking on Cardiovascular Diseases: A Focus Group Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (15) ◽  
pp. 2784
Author(s):  
Lei Yang ◽  
Yuping Mao ◽  
Jeroen Jansz
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Minority Group ◽  
Minority Population ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Professional Information ◽  
Different Sources

The Chinese Hui ethnic minority group is an Islamic minority. The Hui people comprise the third largest minority population in China and are widely distributed throughout the country. Previous research shows that the Hui had a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) than most other ethnic groups. Therefore, the availability of health information relating to these factors is especially important for the Hui minority’s preventive healthcare. They do, however, experience difficulties in obtaining health-related information. The current research aims to identify the needs of the Hui people on where and how they obtain cardiovascular disease (CVD) related information from the media and other sources. Six focus groups were conducted in Shenyang City. The results revealed that the participants relied on different sources to get advice about CVDs, of which the internet and television were the most prominent ones. The participants expressed a desire for credible and professional information from different sources and asked for mediated health communication programs specifically targeted at the Hui. In addition, the participants felt ignored by the Chinese mainstream media at large, which created barriers for them to get health information.

Older Adults and Internet Health Information Seeking

2005 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamer El-Attar ◽  
Jarvis Gray ◽  
Sankaran N. Nair ◽  
Raymond Ownby ◽  
Sara J. Czaja
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Health Information Seeking ◽  
Internet Health Information ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Health Applications

The internet has created new possibilities for individuals to assume a more pronounced role in their own healthcare. This paper reports results from a study that examined the perceptions of older people of usability and trust in Internet health information. Information was also gathered on their ability to search for health information. Participants included 64 adults aged 60-82 years who were asked to answer health-related queries using websites that varied in usability. They were also asked to provide ratings of usability and of their trust in Internet health information. The results indicated that performance was lower for the “low usability” websites. Participants also rated these websites as having poorer layout, being harder to navigate, less useful and less understandable. The majority of the sample indicated that they would use the internet to find health information. These findings underscore the importance of considering usability issues when designing e-health applications.

scholarly journals Social and Demographic Patterns of Health-Related Internet Use Among Adults in the United States: A Secondary Data Analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (18) ◽  
pp. 6856 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rose Calixte ◽  
Argelis Rivera ◽  
Olutobi Oridota ◽  
William Beauchamp ◽  
Marlene Camacho-Rivera
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Demographic Patterns ◽  
National Trends

National surveys of U.S. adults have observed significant increases in health-related internet use (HRIU), but there are documented disparities. The study aims to identify social and demographic patterns of health-related internet use among U.S. adults. Using data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 4 cycle 3 and HINTS 5 cycle 1, we examined HRIU across healthcare, health information seeking, and participation on social media. Primary predictors were gender, race/ethnicity, age, education, income, and nativity with adjustments for smoking and survey year. We used multivariable logistic regression with survey weights to identify independent predictors of HRIU. Of the 4817 respondents, 43% had used the internet to find a doctor; 80% had looked online for health information. Only 20% had used social media for a health issue; 7% participated in an online health support group. In multivariable models, older and low SES participants were significantly less likely to use the internet to look for a provider, use the internet to look for health information for themselves or someone else, and less likely to use social media for health issues. Use of the internet for health-related purposes is vast but varies significantly by demographics and intended use.

scholarly journals Information searching behaviors among Vietnamese students during first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 05 (02) ◽  
pp. 72-80
Author(s):  
Hoang Thuy Linh Nguyen ◽  
◽  
Xuan Minh Tri Tran ◽  
Thi Mien Ha Nguyen ◽  
Dinh Tuyen Hoang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
University Students ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Multivariable Logistic Regression Model ◽  
Information Searching ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Related Information

Objective: This study aims to describe the COVID-19 related information searching behaviors and the relationship between those behaviors and the satisfaction with the COVID-19 related information searched on the Internet among university students during first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted by a web-based survey from April 25, 2020 to May 9, 2020. Convenient sample with the method of snowball sampling was applied, 1003 students were obtained totally. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify the associations between those behaviors and the satisfaction with the COVID-19 related information searched on the Internet. Results: Search engines were the most popular sources used for online COVID-19 information seeking (95.3%), followed by Social media (92.4%) and News portals (91.6%). About 90% of participants searched the information related to the current spread of the coronavirus, followed by symptoms of the COVID-19 (81.8%) and individual measures to protect against infection (81.9%). Vietnamese remains the main language of the sources with 70.3% of participants used. There’s 45.8% of participant satisfied about the COVID-19 related information. The group of participants who sought information about prevention was 0.47 times less dissatisfied than the group that did not search. Conclusion: There are significant associations between searching topics related to prevention and the COVID-19 related information satisfaction searched on the Internet. These results highlight the need for providing efficient information related to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as seriously consider focusing more on social media to better bring official information to the public. Keywords: COVID-19, information searching behaviors, university students, satisfaction

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