A Segmentation Analysis of Prescription Drug Information-Seeking Motives among the Elderly

A study was done to determine why elderly users of hypertension medication seek or avoid prescription drug information. Subjects were users of the American Association of Retired Persons Pharmacy Service who returned a questionnaire that measured theoretically relevant motivations and corresponding knowledge and behaviors. Analysis indicated four distinct segments of information seekers: the ambivalent learners, who viewed themselves as vulnerable to negative health information, not particularly healthy, but receptive to drug information; the uncertain patients, who perceived difficulty adhering to the regimen and reported low levels of information receipt from health professionals; the risk avoiders, who viewed information-seeking as a risk-control coping strategy; and the assertively self-reliant, who were the least receptive to information about their medication. The authors postulate different message strategies that could be targeted to these four segments in response to their informational needs.