Chronic Diseases and Sociodemographic Characteristics Associated With Online Health Information Seeking and Using Social Networking Sites: Nationally Representative Cross-sectional Survey in Japan

Abstract

Background In an aging society, worsening chronic diseases increase the burden on patients and the health care system. Using online health information including health information via social networking sites (SNSs), such as Facebook and YouTube, may play an important role in the self-management of chronic diseases and health promotion for internet users. Objective This study aims to improve strategies for promoting access to reliable information for the self-management of chronic diseases via the internet, and to identify populations facing barriers to using the internet for health, we examined chronic diseases and characteristics associated with online health information seeking and the use of SNSs. Methods This study used data from the INFORM Study 2020, which was a nationally representative cross-sectional postal mail survey conducted using a self-administered questionnaire in 2020. The dependent variables were online health information seeking and SNS use. Online health information seeking was assessed using 1 question about whether respondents used the internet to find health or medical information. SNS use was assessed by inquiring about the following 4 aspects: visiting SNSs, sharing health information on SNSs, writing in an online diary or blog, and watching a health-related video on YouTube. The independent variables were 8 chronic diseases. Other independent variables were sex, age, education status, work, marital status, household income, health literacy, and self-reported health status. We conducted a multivariable logistic regression model adjusted for all independent variables to examine the associations of chronic diseases and other variables with online health information seeking and SNS use. Results The final sample for analysis comprised 2481 internet users. Hypertension or high blood pressure, chronic lung diseases, depression or anxiety disorder, and cancer were reported by 24.5%, 10.1%, 7.7%, and 7.2% of respondents, respectively. The odds ratio of online health information seeking among respondents with cancer was 2.19 (95% CI 1.47-3.27) compared with that among those without cancer, and the odds ratio among those with depression or anxiety disorder was 2.27 (95% CI 1.46-3.53) compared with that among those without. Further, the odds ratio for watching a health-related YouTube video among those with chronic lung diseases was 1.42 (95% CI 1.05-1.93) compared with that among those without these diseases. Women, younger age, higher level of education, and high health literacy were positively associated with online health information seeking and SNS use. Conclusions For patients with cancer, strategies for promoting access to websites with reliable cancer-related information as well as access among patients with chronic lung diseases to YouTube videos providing reliable information may be beneficial for the management of these diseases. Moreover, it is important to improve the online environment to encourage men, older adults, internet users with lower education levels, and those with low health literacy to access online health information.

Prevalence and Correlates of Dietary and Nutrition Information Seeking Through Various Web-Based and Offline Media Sources Among Japanese Adults: Web-Based Cross-Sectional Study

“…Studies have shown that being female and having a higher educational background are the strongest correlates of seeking health information from web-based sources [ 12 , 22 , 29 , 53 , 54 ]. Similar associations have also been suggested with regard to offline health information seeking [ 22 , 29 , 54 ], except for null or inverse associations between education and television exposure [ 38 , 75 , 76 ].…”

“…Similar associations have also been suggested with regard to offline health information seeking [ 22 , 29 , 54 ], except for null or inverse associations between education and television exposure [ 38 , 75 , 76 ]. Studies also suggest that younger age is associated with web-based health information seeking [ 12 , 22 , 53 ], whereas older age is associated with offline health information seeking [ 22 , 28 ]. Our findings are generally consistent with these previous findings, except for findings regarding the role of sex.…”

“…For a large proportion of people, the internet has become an essential tool for improving health-related knowledge and behavior, including nutrition [ 10 , 11 ]. For example, a national survey estimated that 78% of Japan’s general population uses the internet, with 73% of them seeking health information [ 12 ]. However, owing to the lack of regulations and ease of creating and sharing web-based information, consumers have access to an abundance of web-based information of variable quality and accuracy [ 13 , 14 ].…”

“…Taken together, the above findings indicate that very little is known about people’s information-seeking behavior toward healthy eating and its potential consequences [ 47 ]. For potential correlates of dietary and nutrition information seeking, this study particularly focused on health literacy [ 48 ], food literacy [ 49 ], and diet quality [ 50 - 52 ], all of which were assessed using validated tools, as well as important sociodemographic variables (sex, age, and education level) [ 12 , 22 , 26 , 28 , 29 , 33 , 36 , 37 , 53 , 54 ]. To achieve sufficient distribution of health literacy, food literacy, and diet quality within the data set, our population consisted of not only the general public but also health professionals allied to nutrition (eg, dietitians, registered dietitians, physicians, and dentists).…”

Mapping trends and hotspots regarding the use of telenursing for elderly individuals with chronic diseases: A bibliometric analysis

“…[3] Therefore, it is of great significance to achieve effective management of elderly individuals with chronic diseases. [4] YY and SW contributed equally to this work.…”