Open AccessHealth Attitudes, Health Cognitions, and Health Behaviors among Internet Health Information Seekers: Population-Based Survey
Author(s) -
Mohan J. Dutta
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
jmir. journal of medical internet research/journal of medical internet research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.446
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1439-4456
pISSN - 1438-8871
DOI - 10.2196/jmir.6.2.e15
Subject(s) - the internet , seekers , cognition , psychology , health information , population , population health , information seeking behavior , internet privacy , medicine , health care , environmental health , world wide web , computer science , psychiatry , political science , law
Background Using a functional theory of media use, this paper examines the process of health-information seeking in different domains of Internet use. Objective Based on an analysis of the 1999 HealthStyles data, this study was designed to demonstrate that people who gather information on the Internet are more health-oriented than non-users of Internet health information. Methods The Porter Novelli HealthStyles database, collected annually since 1995, is based on the results of nationally representative postal mail surveys. In 1999, 2636 respondents provided usable data for the HealthStyles database. Independent sample t-tests and logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results The results showed that individuals who searched for health information on the Internet were indeed more likely to be health-oriented than those who did not. Consumers who sought out medical information on the Internet reported higher levels of health-information orientation and healthy activities, as well as stronger health beliefs than those who did not search for medical news on the Internet. It was observed that those who reported searching for information about drugs and medications on the Internet held stronger health beliefs than the non-searchers. Comparison of individuals who reported seeking out information about specific diseases on the Internet with individuals who did not showed those who sought out disease-specific information on the Internet to be more health-oriented. Finally, consumers who sought out healthy lifestyle information on the Internet were more health conscious and more health-information oriented than those who did not. They were also more likely to hold stronger health-oriented beliefs and to engage in healthy activities. Conclusions The results support the functional theory of Internet use. Internet searchers who used the Internet for a wide range of health purposes were typically more health oriented than non-searchers.