Adolescents Searching for Health Information on the Internet: An Observational Study

Abstract

BackgroundAdolescents' access to health information on the Internet is partly a function of their ability to search for and find answers to their health-related questions. Adolescents may have unique health and computer literacy needs. Although many surveys, interviews, and focus groups have been utilized to understand the information-seeking and information-retrieval behavior of adolescents looking for health information online, we were unable to locate observations of individual adolescents that have been conducted in this context.ObjectiveThis study was designed to understand how adolescents search for health information using the Internet and what implications this may have on access to health information.MethodsA convenience sample of 12 students (age 12-17 years) from 1 middle school and 2 high schools in southeast Michigan were provided with 6 health-related questions and asked to look for answers using the Internet. Researchers recorded 68 specific searches using software that captured screen images as well as synchronized audio recordings. Recordings were reviewed later and specific search techniques and strategies were coded. A qualitative review of the verbal communication was also performed.ResultsOut of 68 observed searches, 47 (69%) were successful in that the adolescent found a correct and useful answer to the health question. The majority of sites that students attempted to access were retrieved directly from search engine results (77%) or a search engine's recommended links (10%); only a small percentage were directly accessed (5%) or linked from another site (7%). The majority (83%) of followed links from search engine results came from the first 9 results. Incorrect spelling (30 of 132 search terms), number of pages visited within a site (ranging from 1-15), and overall search strategy (eg, using a search engine versus directly accessing a site), were each important determinants of success. Qualitative analysis revealed that participants used a trial-and-error approach to formulate search strings, scanned pages randomly instead of systematically, and did not consider the source of the content when searching for health information.ConclusionsThis study provides a useful snapshot of current adolescent searching patterns. The results have implications for constructing realistic simulations of adolescent search behavior, improving distribution and usefulness of Web sites with health information relevant to adolescents, and enhancing educators' knowledge of what specific pitfalls students are likely to encounter.

Teens, Health and Technology: A National Survey

“…Adolescents who used search engines noted that the vast number of results generated through search queries made it quite difficult to choose a site or determine its credibility (Gray et al, 2005). When using search engines online to answer healthrelated questions, adolescents tend to choose between the first nine results, without searching further (Hansen, Derry, Resnick, & Richardson, 2003). Thus, adolescents' use of the Internet to search for health information may be limited in relation to their search heuristics and tactics.…”

Factors that influence public engagement with eHealth: A literature review

“…For this group, information was anxiety-promoting and a source of interference with established ways of coping. Usability was seen as a key facilitator in a study conducted in the USA exploring the use of the Internet for health information by 12 adolescent students [54]. Participants were observed, using a think-aloud protocol, as they searched for answers to 6 health-related questions.…”

Overcoming the linguistic divide: a barrier to consumer health information

“…Many health consumers could benefit from guidance in the selection of sources [9]. Online searches by health consumers often fail [9,20,21]. Interestingly, the majority of health consumers are positive about the result of their search [5,9] even in the face of searches that have "failed" by objective criteria [9].…”

“…Low reading literacy can compound the problem of access to health information [22]. From a usability perspective, language [21,[23][24][25][26][27], poorly formed search queries [9,18,28,29], use of short forms (abbreviations, acronyms) or slang [26,29,30], and spelling errors [11,20,28] are all barriers to retrieval of consumer health information.…”