Why Older People Seek Health Information Online: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Despite the increasing number of older adults’ growing need for health information, little is known about their motivation to seek online health information. This exploratory qualitative study was conducted to examine why older adults seek required health information through online sources. In this qualitative content analysis, we purposefully approached 19 older adults with age in the range between 60–75 (63.78 ± 3.8 years) in Tabriz, Iran. Data were collected via individual, semi-structured face-to-face interviews at a place and time convenient to the study participants from October 2018 to September 2019. We evaluated the content of recorded data until saturation was reached, using MAXQDA 10 software. Subsequently, four central motivational themes were emerged including being self-reliant, achieving a healthier life, seeking reliable sources of health information, and accumulating health information. Older adults seek health information based on their needs and expectations to achieve optimal health status. Our findings provide valuable information for nurses and other health care providers to facilitate older adults’ access to trusting and valid online health information. It further suggests that, with the consideration of COVID-19 pandemic, fact-checking skills of elderly in identifying and accessing credible information sources should be addressed in future health literacy interventions.

Correlates of Older Adults’ E-Health Information-Seeking Behaviors

“…Based on a previous study [38], we identified the variables that were used to measure the health information-seeking behavior, namely, (1) self-efficacy for online information seeking, (2) perceived encouragement, (3) positive attitude toward e-HISB, (4) perceived usefulness, (5) challenges of being visited by physicians, and (6) online-seeking inhibitors and perceived barriers to e-HISB. A 5-point Likert-type scale (1 = strongly disagree; 5 = strongly agree) was used to measure the motivators and inhibitors of the e-HISB; the negatively stated items were reverse-coded.…”

Understanding online health information seeking behavior of older adults: A social cognitive perspective

“…However, although the current literature offers insight into factors influencing online health information seeking of older adults, few of the prior studies have yet clarified the influence mechanism (24). Improving the online seeking behavior of older people is more difficult than that of younger people because of cognitive limitations, low electronic health literacy, and negative attitudes toward technology (6).…”

A Regulatory Game Analysis of Smart Aging Platforms Considering Privacy Protection

“…This paper will examine the issue of regulation of smart aging platforms from the perspective of privacy breaches. For the elderly, they can act as supervisors, pursuing reasonable prices for the operation and services of the wisdom aging platform, diversification of service types, as well as focusing on the experience of the platform services, which are the main sources of revenue for the platform [31]. As beneficiaries of the wisdom aging platform, their interest is to bring convenience and spiritual and emotional comfort to their lives through the aging platform's services.…”