scholarly journals Use of Internet Health Information Among Students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Etab S. Alghamdi ◽  
Alaa S. Alqarni ◽  
Maryah M. Bakarman ◽  
Abdel Moniem Mukhtar ◽  
Marwan A. Bakarman
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Internet Health Information ◽  
Use Of Internet

BACKGROUND: Internet is a resource used to deliver health information, and has the potential to provide nutrition education in particular for individuals with a good level of education. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of internet as a source for health information and analyzing the related factors for internet as a source for health information among students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: We recruited 164 high schools, undergraduate and postgraduate students living in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered structured questionnaire to collect data on searching the internet for health information was used. It included frequency and timing of search, type of information, use of information in decision making, general health condition and socio-demographic characteristics. Differences between students who perceived and those who did not perceive improvement in health care after using internet health information were assessed using the chi-squared test. RESULTS: 92.7% of the students usually searched the internet for health information and 84.8% perceived internet health information as a help towards improving their health status. Students at higher educational levels talked significantly more often with their doctors regarding the health information they got from the internet (p = 0.014). We found significantly higher rates of perceived improvement in health among females (p <0.001), participants who trusted the health information they got from the internet (p <0.001), those who searched the internet for health information for themselves and other persons (p = 0.034), who searched for information on health care, physical fitness and nutrition and specific diseases (p = 0.005) and those who did it to increase their knowledge (p = 0.024). CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS: The majority of participants perceived the health information they got from the internet as a help towards improving their health status. Interventions should be developed to enhance the use of internet health information among males and high school students.

scholarly journals The image of a doctor in a doctor-patient relationship in the Internet era

2019 ◽  
pp. 127-135
Author(s):  
Janina Wiertlewska
Keyword(s):  
Information Asymmetry ◽  
Health Information ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Patient Relationship ◽  
Research Model ◽  
Doctor Patient Relationship ◽  
Internet Health Information ◽  
Pilot Survey ◽  
Use Of Internet ◽  
The Impact

The following paper deals with the issues of doctor’s image in the doctor-patient relationship in the Internet era and the influence of Internet on patient’s compliance. Both positive and negative standpoints have been discussed briefly, followed by a description of a research model proposed by Laugesen, Hassanein and Yufei (2015) applicable for this type of study. The study examines the impact of patients’ use of Internet health information on various elements of patient-doctor relation (including compliance) through a theoretical model based on principal-agent theory as well as the information asymmetry perspective. A pilot survey and interview study performed on one Polish doctor and a group of his patients, a specialist in Family Medicine has been described. The study carried out by three coworkers: Laugesen, Hassanein and Yufei (2015) revealed that patient-doctor concordance and perceived information asymmetry have relevant effects on patient’s compliance while patient-doctor concordance reveals a stronger relationship. The final conclusions were such that only doctor’s quality had a significant influence on the information asymmetry; the Internet health information gathered by a patient had no impact on perceived information asymmetry; the pilot study performed on the Polish physician confirms the theses presented in this paper but further investigations concerning the formerly discussed issues should be done.

scholarly journals Generation Gaps in Digital Health Literacy and Their Impact on Health Information Seeking Behavior and Health Empowerment in Hungary

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Orsolya Papp-Zipernovszky ◽  
Mária Dóra Horváth ◽  
Peter J. Schulz ◽  
Márta Csabai
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Subjective Health ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Health Information Seeking ◽  
Subjective Health Status ◽  
Ehealth Literacy ◽  
Internet Health Information

Background: Today the internet is a major source of health information, and younger generations have more confidence in their digital information seeking skills and awareness of online resources than older generations. Older generations, however, are more in demand of health services. The aim of our study was to explore these generational differences as related to self-perceived eHealth literacy and health care system utilization.Methods: A cross-sectional survey study with 522 subjects was done in Hungary. Every subject belonged to one of four generations (Baby boomers, X, Y, and Z). The Web-based survey was designed and tested in English-speaking countries and translated into Hungarian for the present study. Variables include Internet health information seeking, eHealth literacy (measured by eHeals score), the self-perceived gain in empowerment by that information, and the number of health care appointments. One-way ANOVA was used for comparing the scores of the generations, and correlational and linear regression analysis was employed within the generations for further data analysis.Results: We found significant differences among the generations in eHealth literacy as well as in the self-perceived gain in empowerment: while Boomers were the generation with the lowest eHeals scores, they showed the highest empowerment. Internet health information seeking behavior showed no differences. While subjects who use the Internet more frequently to search for health information have worse self-rated health status, the ones with higher eHeals scores report better subjective health status. We also identified the associations of the above variables within the older generations (Boomers and X) with the frequency of using health-care services: within the generation of Boomers the number of health care appointments was only associated with Internet health information seeking, while in Generation X with eHeals.Conclusions: Baby boomers seek Internet health information as often as the younger generations, which provides a solid motivation for developing their eHealth literacy skills. We find it crucial to plan the Hungarian health promotion programmes utilizing this high frequency of Internet health information seeking, since the eHealth literacy skills of older generations have an effect on their subjective health status, and they are the most capable of applying information in making decisions.

Tu1310 Consulting Dr Google: Use of Internet Health Information by Patients Undergoing Their First Colonoscopy

2013 ◽  
Vol 77 (5) ◽  
pp. AB494
Author(s):  
Jocelyn A. Silvester ◽  
John R. Walker ◽  
Harman Kalkat ◽  
Lesley A. Graff ◽  
Donald R. Duerksen
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Internet Health Information ◽  
Use Of Internet

The Internet, Health Information, and Managing Health

2009 ◽  
pp. 297-316
Author(s):  
Christopher G. Reddick
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Health Information ◽  
Kaiser Family Foundation ◽  
Internet Health Information ◽  
Positive Feelings ◽  
Use Of The Internet

This article examines the use of the Internet for gathering health information by boomers and seniors. This study attempts to determine whether online health seekers (individuals that have Internet access and have searched for health information online) have changed their behaviors from the information they found online. Essentially, has online health information helped them to manage their health more effectively? This research analyzes the Kaiser Family Foundation e-Health and the Elderly public opinion dataset of access by boomers and seniors to online health information. The major results indicate that boomers marginally use online health information more than seniors for the management of their health. The most significant results indicated that boomers and seniors who are more aware and have positive feelings toward online health information would use it more to manage their health.

The Internet, Health Information, and Managing Health

2011 ◽  
pp. 1495-1513
Author(s):  
Christopher G. Reddick
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Health Information ◽  
Kaiser Family Foundation ◽  
Internet Health Information ◽  
Positive Feelings ◽  
Use Of The Internet

This article examines the use of the Internet for gathering health information by boomers and seniors. This study attempts to determine whether online health seekers (individuals that have Internet access and have searched for health information online) have changed their behaviors from the information they found online. Essentially, has online health information helped them to manage their health more effectively? This research analyzes the Kaiser Family Foundation e-Health and the Elderly public opinion dataset of access by boomers and seniors to online health information. The major results indicate that boomers marginally use online health information more than seniors for the management of their health. The most significant results indicated that boomers and seniors who are more aware and have positive feelings toward online health information would use it more to manage their health.

A Participatory Photonovel as a Linguistic Tool for Educating ESL-Speaking Immigrant Women About Health Information

2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Nimmon
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Culturally Relevant ◽  
Immigrant Women ◽  
Barriers To Health Care ◽  
Informational Barriers ◽  
Barriers To Health ◽  
Literacy Tool

Issues such as the linguistic and informational barriers to health care must be addressed if immigrant women are to achieve optimum health status for themselves and their families. This study used a participatory photonovel as a tool to educate ESL-speaking immigrant women about health information. This research illustrates five ESL-speaking immigrant women’s responses to the use of a participatory photonovel as a health literacy tool. The findings reveal the women’s perspectives on the use of culturally relevant visuals and simplified English in the photonovel as being conducive to their understanding of health information.

scholarly journals Association Between a Wider Availability of Health Information and Health Care Utilization in Vietnam: Cross-Sectional Study (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hoang Thuy Linh Nguyen ◽  
Keiko Nakamura ◽  
Kaoruko Seino ◽  
Van Thang Vo
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Mass Media ◽  
Health Care Utilization ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Education Courses

BACKGROUND The rapid and widespread development of mass media sources including the Internet is occurring worldwide. Users are being confronted with a flood of health information through a wide availability of sources. Studies on how the availability of health information has triggered users’ interest in utilizing health care services remain limited within the Vietnamese population. OBJECTIVE This study examined the associations between the wider availability of sources for health information and health care utilization in Vietnam after adjusting for potential confounding variables. METHODS The data for this study were drawn from a cross-sectional study conducted over a 6-month period in Hue, a city in central Vietnam. The participants were 993 randomly selected adults aged between 18 and 60 years. Information was collected through face-to-face interviews on the types of information sources that were consulted, including traditional media (television), Internet, and health education courses, as well as the impact of such information on health care use (emergency department visits, hospitalizations, doctor visits). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed at a 95% confidence level. RESULTS The prevalence of watching television, using the Internet, and attending health education courses to obtain health information were 50.9% (505/993), 32.9% (327/993), and 8.7% (86/993), respectively. After further adjustments for self-reported health status, the presence of health insurance, and monthly income, respondents who watched television and used the Internet to obtain health information were 1.7 times more likely to visit a doctor (television: adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.69, 95% CI 1.30-2.19; Internet: AOR 1.64, 95% CI 1.23-2.19), and also significantly associated with inpatient hospitalization (P=.003). CONCLUSIONS The use of widely available mass media sources (eg, television and the Internet) to obtain health information was associated with higher health care utilization. How this interest in health-related information can be used so that it will have a beneficial effect on care-seeking behavior should be a topic of concern to further health promotion in developing countries.

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