Information-Seeking Strategies of People with Multiple Sclerosis in Spain: The INFOSEEK-MS Study

Sources of information about multiple sclerosis: Information seeking and personal, demographic, and MS variables

Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation ◽

10.3233/jvr-2009-479 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 31 (2) ◽

pp. 107-117 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Malachy Bishop ◽

Michael P. Frain ◽

Christina T. Espinosa ◽

Donald M. Stenhoff

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Information Seeking ◽

Sources Of Information

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Diet and Multiple Sclerosis: Scoping Review of Web-Based Recommendations (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.10050 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Jeffrey M Beckett ◽

Marie-Louise Bird ◽

Jane K Pittaway ◽

Kiran DK Ahuja

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Vitamin D ◽

Information Seeking ◽

Scientific Evidence ◽

Saturated Fat ◽

Initial Assessment ◽

Dietary Advice ◽

Search Term ◽

Omega 3 ◽

Web Based

BACKGROUND There is currently no scientific evidence supporting the use of specific diets in the management of multiple sclerosis (MS); the strongest dietary associations are observed with vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acid supplementation. Despite this, there are many websites that provide advice or suggestions about using various dietary approaches to control symptoms or disease progression. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to assess the dietary advice for the symptomatic management of MS available on the internet. METHODS This study was a systematic review of webpages that provided dietary advice for the management of MS. Webpages were selected from an internet search conducted in November 2016 using Google, Yahoo, and Bing search engines and the search term “MS diet.” The first two pages of results from each search engine were included for the initial assessment. Duplicates were removed. Data extracted from websites included specific advice relating to diet and its rationale and the citation of supporting scientific literature. Authorship and credential information were reviewed to assess webpage quality. RESULTS We included 32 webpages in the final assessment. The webpages made a wide variety of specific recommendations regarding dietary patterns and individual foods to help manage MS. The most common dietary pattern advised on these webpages was the low-fat, high-fiber balanced diet, followed by the low-saturated fat diet, near-vegetarian Swank diet, and the Paleo diet. The main categories of individual foods or nutrients suggested for addition to the diet were: supplements (especially omega-3 and vitamin D), fruits, vegetables, and lean protein. In contrast, the most commonly recommended for removal were saturated fats, dairy, gluten-containing grains, and refined sugar. These recommendations were often accompanied by rationale relating to how the particular food or nutrient may affect the development, prevalence and symptoms of MS; however, very little of this information is supported by the current scientific evidence between diet and MS. Only 9 webpages provided full authorship including credential information. CONCLUSIONS There is a wide variety of Web-based dietary advice, which in some cases is contradictory. In most cases, this advice is the result of peoples’ individual experiences and has not been scientifically tested. How people living with MS use this information is not known. These findings highlight the important role health professionals can play in assisting people living with MS in their health information-seeking behaviors.

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Internet Usage by Polish Patients With Multiple Sclerosis: A Multicenter Questionnaire Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.11146 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Andrzej Potemkowski ◽

Waldemar Brola ◽

Anna Ratajczak ◽

Marcin Ratajczak ◽

Jacek Zaborski ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Information Seeking ◽

Information Source ◽

Fold Increase ◽

Internet Usage ◽

The Internet ◽

Treatment Methods ◽

Course Of Illness ◽

Significance Level ◽

Internet Users

BACKGROUND The internet is a source of knowledge and medium widely used in services that facilitate access to information and networking. Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients find the possibility of acquiring information relating to their condition particularly rewarding. OBJECTIVE We aimed to identify Polish MS patients’ preferences by analyzing a percentage of internet users and determining the most common search subjects and patients’ approach to information on the internet. Disability connected with the condition, its duration, and other factors that influence patients’ internet use were examined along with instances of relations established through the internet and their durability. METHODS The study examined 1045 patients (731 women, 314 men) treated in 10 Polish MS centers, of whom 932 (89.19%) declared to be internet users. Their average age was 40.65 (SD 11.06) and average MS duration was 9.08 (SD 6.97) years. The study used a proprietary survey on information seeking, the range of searched subjects, and internet usage frequency. RESULTS The majority of the patients (494/932, 53.0%) used the internet 6-7 times per week and 4.3% (40/932) declared they spent minimum 2 hours per day. The most commonly searched subjects were world news (604/932, 72.9% of patients using the internet); 60.8% (504/932) searched for information on their condition, particularly for new treatment methods (562/932, 67.8%) and the course of illness (520/932, 62.7%). One’s sex had no impact on internet usage (female vs male, odds ratio [OR] 1.13, 95% CI 0.72-1.77), although a patient’s age might, at varying degrees. We found several significant associations using a .05 significance level: a patient with higher education used the internet 9 times more often than one with primary education (OR 8.64, 95% CI 3.31-22.57); lasting relationships increased chances of internet usage by 10-fold compared to widowers (OR 0.12, 95% CI 0.05-0.31); living in a city with a population over 100,000 increased chances by nearly 6 times compared with the countryside (OR 5.59, 95% CI 2.72-11.48); the relapsing-remitting MS type saw a 2-fold increase compared with the primary progressive MS type (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.29-0.75); and those needing assistance were 2 times less likely to use the internet than patients who could move independently (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.31-0.89). More than half of the patients (489/932, 52.5%) did not discuss the information found on the internet with their neurologists; 15.9% (148/932) believed that relationships established through the internet can be stable. CONCLUSIONS The majority of Polish patients use the internet as a crucial information source on their condition and innovative treatment methods. The internet can be helpful in establishing new relationships, which are usually short-lived. Polish patients do not frequently discuss the information gathered on the internet with their doctors.

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Online health information seeking: how people with multiple sclerosis find, assess and integrate treatment information to manage their health

Health Expectations ◽

10.1111/hex.12253 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

pp. 727-737 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Anneliese J. Synnot ◽

Sophie J. Hill ◽

Kerryn A. Garner ◽

Michael P. Summers ◽

Graziella Filippini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Health Information ◽

Information Seeking ◽

Online Health Information ◽

Health Information Seeking ◽

Treatment Information ◽

Online Health Information Seeking

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Foraging extends beyond food: Hoarding of mental energy and information seeking in response to uncertainty

Behavioral and Brain Sciences ◽

10.1017/s0140525x18001838 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 42 ◽

Author(s):

Jessica L. Alquist ◽

Roy F. Baumeister

Keyword(s):

Information Seeking ◽

Potential Outcomes ◽

Food Hoarding

AbstractWhen an environment is uncertain, humans and other animals benefit from preparing for and attempting to predict potential outcomes. People respond to uncertainty both by conserving mental energy on tasks unrelated to the source of the uncertainty and by increasing their attentiveness to information related to the uncertainty. This mental hoarding and foraging allow people to prepare in uncertain situations.

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