Online health information seeking behaviors among Chinese elderly

Abstract The Internet has become an important source of health information for elderly people in China. A controlled user experiment was conducted to understand how Chinese elderly people search for online health information. Twenty elderly people completed three search tasks based on three different health information seeking contexts. Online health information seeking behavior patterns of the elderly were found to include reselecting from results pages, following hyperlinks, and using a query reformulation patter. There was no significant difference with respect to emotion and the three task contexts, as elderly people have positive attitudes regarding the health information seeking process, but cognition within the three task contexts displayed significant differences. There was a significant correlation between education and Internet search proficiency regarding task search performance, while health condition, familiarity with the Internet and credibility of online health information were found to be primary factors that influenced the decision of the elderly to search for online health information.

[1]  Xiaohui Liu,et al.  An Integrated Approach for Modeling Learning Patterns of Students in Web-Based Instruction: A Cognitive Style Perspective , 2008, TCHI.

[2]  Lennart Magnusson,et al.  A pilot study of how information and communication technology may contribute to health promotion among elderly spousal carers in Norway. , 2007, Health & social care in the community.

[3]  E. Im,et al.  A path analysis of Internet health information seeking behaviors among older adults. , 2014, Geriatric nursing.

[4]  Bo Xie,et al.  Older adults, e-health literacy, and collaborative learning: An experimental study , 2011, J. Assoc. Inf. Sci. Technol..

[5]  M. Kuzuya,et al.  Information needs and sources of family caregivers of home elderly patients. , 2011, Archives of gerontology and geriatrics.

[6]  M. Delazer,et al.  Information about medications may cause misunderstanding in older adults with cognitive impairment , 2010, Journal of Neurological Sciences.

[7]  J. David Johnson,et al.  Health-related information seeking: Is it worth it? , 2014, Inf. Process. Manag..

[8]  Bo Xie,et al.  Experimenting on the impact of learning methods and information presentation channels on older adults' e-health literacy , 2011, J. Assoc. Inf. Sci. Technol..

[9]  S. Lambert,et al.  Health Information—Seeking Behavior , 2007, Qualitative health research.

[10]  H. Raghav Rao,et al.  Factors influencing online health information search: An empirical analysis of a national cancer-related survey , 2014, Decis. Support Syst..

[11]  M. Slater,et al.  Characteristics of health-related web sites identified by common internet portals. , 2002, JAMA.

[12]  George Demiris,et al.  Examining Health Information–Seeking Behaviors of Older Adults , 2013, Computers, informatics, nursing : CIN.

[13]  Joseph Sharit,et al.  Investigating the Roles of Knowledge and Cognitive Abilities in Older Adult Information Seeking on the Web , 2008, TCHI.

[14]  Susan G. Elliott,et al.  Information needs of informal caregivers of older adults with chronic health conditions. , 2011, Patient education and counseling.

[15]  Ac Klugkist.  Information Superhighway: The Role of Librarians, Information Scientists, and Intermediaries. 17th International Essen Symposium, 24-27 October 1994, Festschrift in honor of F. W. Lancaster , 1995, Essen Symposium.

[16]  Ümit V. Çatalyürek,et al.  Health information and decision-making preferences in the internet age: a pilot study using the health information wants (HIW) questionnaire , 2010, IHI.

[17]  Ágústa Pálsdóttir.  Elderly Peoples’ Information Behaviour: Accepting Support from Relatives , 2012 .

[18]  Kyung-Sun Kim,et al.  Effects of emotion control and task on Web searching behavior , 2008, Inf. Process. Manag..

[19]  Kaija Saranto,et al.  Impact of computer training courses on reduction of loneliness of older people in Finland and Slovenia , 2012, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[20]  Derek L. Hansen,et al.  Older adults' online health information seeking behavior , 2012, iConference '12.

[21]  Diane Kelly,et al.  The use of query suggestions during information search , 2014, Inf. Process. Manag..

[22]  Bo Xie,et al.  Public library computer training for older adults to access high-quality Internet health information. , 2009, Library & information science research.

[23]  Bo Xie,et al.  Improving older adults' e-health literacy through computer training using NIH online resources. , 2012, Library & information science research.

[24]  Maija-Leena Huotari,et al.  Enactment and use of information and the media among older adults , 2012 .

[25]  Karin Slegers,et al.  Computer use in older adults: Determinants and the relationship with cognitive change over a 6 year episode , 2012, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[26]  Carmen K M Wong,et al.  Chinese Older Adults’ Internet Use for Health Information , 2014, Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society.

[27]  Gill Whitney,et al.  Successful strategies of older people for finding information , 2005, Interact. Comput..

[28]  David Stoker,et al.  Evaluation of Networked Information Sources , 1994, Essen Symposium.

[29]  C J Gollop,et al.  Health information-seeking behavior and older African American women. , 1997, Bulletin of the Medical Library Association.

[30]  Gao Qin.  Evaluation of Chinese health information websites , 2010 .

[31]  Maria Hägglund,et al.  Health informatics and the delivery of care to older people. , 2009, Maturitas.

[32]  Amber M. Reinhart,et al.  Health information seeking: a review of measures and methods. , 2011, Patient education and counseling.

[33]  Amanda Spink,et al.  How are we searching the World Wide Web? A comparison of nine search engine transaction logs , 2006, Inf. Process. Manag..

[34]  Vicki L. Hanson.  Influencing technology adoption by older adults , 2010, Interact. Comput..

[35]  Hiroko H. Dodge,et al.  Computer-related self-efficacy and anxiety in older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment , 2012, Alzheimer's & Dementia.

[36]  Arthur D. Fisk,et al.  Web-Based Information Search and Retrieval: Effects of Strategy Use and Age on Search Success , 2006, Hum. Factors.

[37]  Peter G. Fairweather.  How older and younger adults differ in their approach to problem solving on a complex website , 2008, Assets '08.

[38]  Wai-Tat Fu,et al.  Adaptive information search: age-dependent interactions between cognitive profiles and strategies , 2009, CHI.