Determinants of Internet use in Spain

Lera‐López, Fernando; Billón, Margarita; Gil, María Dolores Garza

doi:10.1080/10438590903378017

Cited by 46 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…This finding is consistent in studies from the United States [13] and the European Union [14] and across middle-income countries [15]. Additionally, gender [16], English-language ability [17], broadband access price [18], urban location [19], ethnicity [20], and age [21] have also been reported as determinants of Internet use in both high- and middle-income countries. In summary, Internet users in both high- and middle-income countries are more likely to have higher incomes and higher levels of education.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Internet Search Patterns of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and the Digital Divide in the Russian Federation: Infoveillance Study

Zheluk¹,

Quinn²,

Hercz³

et al. 2013

J Med Internet Res

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BackgroundHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a serious health problem in the Russian Federation. However, the true scale of HIV in Russia has long been the subject of considerable debate. Using digital surveillance to monitor diseases has become increasingly popular in high income countries. But Internet users may not be representative of overall populations, and the characteristics of the Internet-using population cannot be directly ascertained from search pattern data. This exploratory infoveillance study examined if Internet search patterns can be used for disease surveillance in a large middle-income country with a dispersed population.ObjectiveThis study had two main objectives: (1) to validate Internet search patterns against national HIV prevalence data, and (2) to investigate the relationship between search patterns and the determinants of Internet access.MethodsWe first assessed whether online surveillance is a valid and reliable method for monitoring HIV in the Russian Federation. Yandex and Google both provided tools to study search patterns in the Russian Federation. We evaluated the relationship between both Yandex and Google aggregated search patterns and HIV prevalence in 2011 at national and regional tiers. Second, we analyzed the determinants of Internet access to determine the extent to which they explained regional variations in searches for the Russian terms for “HIV” and “AIDS”. We sought to extend understanding of the characteristics of Internet searching populations by data matching the determinants of Internet access (age, education, income, broadband access price, and urbanization ratios) and searches for the term “HIV” using principal component analysis (PCA).ResultsWe found generally strong correlations between HIV prevalence and searches for the terms “HIV” and “AIDS”. National correlations for Yandex searches for “HIV” were very strongly correlated with HIV prevalence (Spearman rank-order coefficient [rs]=.881, P≤.001) and strongly correlated for “AIDS” (rs=.714, P≤.001). The strength of correlations varied across Russian regions. National correlations in Google for the term “HIV” (rs=.672, P=.004) and “AIDS” (rs=.584, P≤.001) were weaker than for Yandex. Second, we examined the relationship between the determinants of Internet access and search patterns for the term “HIV” across Russia using PCA. At the national level, we found Principal Component 1 loadings, including age (-0.56), HIV search (-0.533), and education (-0.479) contributed 32% of the variance. Principal Component 2 contributed 22% of national variance (income, -0.652 and broadband price, -0.460).ConclusionsThis study contributes to the methodological literature on search patterns in public health. Based on our preliminary research, we suggest that PCA may be used to evaluate the relationship between the determinants of Internet access and searches for health problems beyond high-income countries. We believe it is in middle-income countries that search methods can make the greatest contribution to public health.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Internet Search Patterns of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and the Digital Divide in the Russian Federation: Infoveillance Study

Zheluk¹,

Quinn²,

Hercz³

et al. 2013

J Med Internet Res

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show abstract

“…A number of studies provide alternative explanations for the European ICT diffusion lag, using descriptive approaches (Antipa et al 2007) or econometric investigations (Gust and Marquez 2004;Cette, Lopez, and Noual 2005;Aghion et al 2008;Haller and Siedschlag 2008;Siedschlag, Zhang, and Smith 2009;Arduini, Nascia, and Zanfei, 2010;Lera-Lopez, Billon, and Gil 2011). Two explanatory factors are often put forward: the level of education and market rigidities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

ICT demand behaviour: an international comparison

Cette¹,

Lopez

2012

Economics of Innovation and New Technology

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“…One of the early studies in Spain about the 5 demand of Internet access and use was carried out by Cerno and Pérez-Amaral (2006); two models were estimated using data from 2003, one for broadband access at home and the other for Internet use intensity. Lera-López, et al (2011) explored the impact of socio-economic, demographic and regional factors to explain not only Internet use, but also the frequency of use by individuals. Cerno & Pérez-Amaral (2009) analyzed the survey for 2003, characterizing the e-consumer profile, for both the number of purchases and the expenditure.…”

Section: Internet Use and E-commerce Adoptionmentioning

confidence: 99%