Integrating Risk Perception Attitude Framework and Subjective Norms
                    for Predicting Smokers’ Health Information Seeking

BACKGROUND The existing health education and communication research routinely measures internet use as a whole by, for example, evaluating how frequently people use the “internet” to search for health information. This fails to capture the complexity and diversity of online channel use in health information seeking. Measurement of generic internet use may cause too much error, and lends no support for media planning in a public health promotion campaign and scholarly research involving internet use. OBJECTIVE This study intended to present a thorough picture of patterns of people’s online health information channel use, and classify people’s use of various types of online health information channels. Under the framework of risk information seeking and processing (RISP), this study also analyzed the differences in motivations behind to offer further evidence to validate the classification scheme. METHODS This study sampled 542 Chinese respondents in Beijing to survey the usage of 13 commonly used online health information channels, and various socio-psychological factors associated with online health information seeking. RESULTS This study derived three categories of online health information channels: searching, browsing and scanning channels. From the perspective of RISP, the study further analyzed people’s motivations to use three types of online health information channels. Use of online searching channels is affect-driven and characterized by stronger need for cognition. Use of browsing channels is directly influenced by informational subjective norms and perceived current knowledge. Use of scanning channels is mainly influenced by informational subjective norms. CONCLUSIONS The results of the study suggest that health communication practitioners and scholars are supposed to measure the “internet”, “new media” or “online media” more precisely instead of simply asking the public about the frequency of internet use in health information acquisition. Future scholarly or formative research may consider measuring usage of internet health information channel by utilizing the three-category scheme discovered by this study.

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Health Information Seeking Among University Students Before and During the Corona Crisis—Findings From Germany

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2020.616603 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Markus Schäfer ◽

Birgit Stark ◽

Antonia M. Werner ◽

Ana Nanette Tibubos ◽

Jennifer L. Reichel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Perception ◽

University Students ◽

Health Information ◽

Risk Behavior ◽

Information Seeking ◽

Information Seeking Behavior ◽

Health Information Seeking ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Health Information Seeking Behavior ◽

Seeking Behavior

Health information-seeking behavior is the process of gathering information about health and disease and can be influential for health-related perception and behavior. University students are an important target group for prevention and health promotion and largely belong to an age group that is considered to play a leading role in propagating the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Germany. The paper deals with students' health information-seeking behavior before and during the corona crisis, aiming to give insights into its determinants and implications. Using the example of a large German comprehensive university and based on two cross-sectional surveys in the summer of 2019 (n = 4,351) and 2020 (n = 3,066), we investigate which information channels students use for health information, how information seeking changes during the course of the pandemic, and to what extent information seeking is associated with risk perception and risk behavior. For a subsample of participants that participated in both surveys (n = 443), we also trace developments at the individual level through a longitudinal analysis. The results show that students' health information seeking takes place primarily online and changed markedly during the corona crisis. The comparatively high relevance of sources that are largely based on unchecked user-generated content raises the concern whether students' health information-seeking behavior guarantees the necessary quality and reliability of health information. Significant correlations between the intensity of corona-related information seeking, risk perception, and actual risk behavior were found.

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