The Dispersion of Health Information–Seeking Behavior and Health Literacy in a State in the Southern United States: Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background The transmission of health information from in-person communication to web-based sources has changed over time. Patients can find, understand, and use their health information without meeting a health care provider and are able to participate more in their health care management. In recent years, the internet has emerged as the primary source of health information, although clinical providers remain the most credible source. The ease of access, anonymity, and busy schedules may be motivating factors to seek health information on the web. Social media has surfaced as a popular source of health information, as it can provide news in real time. The increase in the breadth and depth of health information available on the web has also led to a plethora of misinformation, and individuals are often unable to discern facts from fiction. Competencies in health literacy (HL) can help individuals better understand health information and enhance patient decision-making, as adequate HL is a precursor to positive health information–seeking behaviors (HISBs). Several factors such as age, sex, and socioeconomic status are known to moderate the association between HL and HISBs. Objective In this study, we aimed to examine the relationship between HL and HISBs in individuals living in a southern state in the United States by considering different demographic factors. Methods Participants aged ≥18 years were recruited using Qualtrics Research Services and stratified to match the statewide demographic characteristics of race and age. Demographics and source and frequency of health information were collected. The Health Literacy Questionnaire was used to collect self-reported HL experiences. SPSS (version 27; IBM Corp) was used for the analysis. Results A total of 520 participants met the criteria and completed the survey (mean age 36.3, SD 12.79 years). The internet was cited as the most used source of health information (mean 2.41, SD 0.93). Females are more likely to seek health information from physicians than males (r=0.121; P=.006). Older individuals are less likely to seek health information from the internet (r=−0.108; P=.02), social media (r=−0.225; P<.001), and friends (r=−0.090; P=.045) than younger individuals. Cluster analysis demonstrated that individuals with higher levels of HISBs were more likely to seek information from multiple sources than those with lower levels of HISBs (mean range 3.05-4.09, SD range 0.57-0.66; P<.001). Conclusions Age and sex are significantly associated with HISB. Older adults may benefit from web-based resources to monitor their health conditions. Higher levels of HL are significantly associated with greater HISB. Targeted strategies to improve HISB among individuals with lower levels of HL may improve their access, understanding, and use of health information.

Online Health Information Seeking and Preventative Health Actions: Cross-Generational Online Survey Study

“…Previous research on OHIS has found that younger people are more prone to seeking OHI than older people [2][3][4][5][6][7]. The findings of this study are consistent with those of previous research indicating that younger generations (digital natives; aged between 18 and 42 years) are more likely to search for OHI than older generations (digital immigrants; aged ≥43 years).…”

“…Online health information seeking (OHIS) has become popular owing to its convenience and low-cost access [1]. Although the internet remains a popular source of health information [1], an age-based digital divide exists in OHIS behavior-young generations (such as Millennials) are more likely to seek online health information (OHI) than older generations (such as Baby Boomers) [2][3][4][5][6][7]. The gap between younger and older Americans has widened in recent years-the number of Americans aged ≥55 years grew by 27% between 2010 and 2020, whereas the number of Americans aged <55 years increased by only 1.3% during that time [8].…”

Health information-seeking behavior in patients with coronary artery disease: Activating methods

“…As a result of analyzing the differences in health information-seeking behavior according to the demographic characteristics of CAD patients, differences in health information search behavior were confirmed according to sex, age, education level, and subjective health status. Among the demographic and sociological characteristics of the participants, unlike women who actively implement health information search behavior compared to men [ 12 , 18 , 27 ], this study found that women exhibited lower levels of health information-seeking behavior.…”

“…Health literacy is closely related to patients’ medical information-seeking behavior [ 18 , 19 ]. Health literacy refers to the ability to understand and appropriately utilize health information for disease management to approach and solve health problems [ 20 ].…”

Effectiveness of a web‐based partnership support program for preventing decline in the quality of life of male patients undergoing infertility treatment: A quasi‐experimental study

“…Compared with women, men are more likely to engage in risky behaviors, such as smoking and drug use, and are more likely to have an unhealthy diet (Baker et al, 2021). Men also tend to have lower health literacy levels and are less likely to seek health information and use healthcare services than women (Rao et al, 2022).…”