Online Health-Information Seeking Among Older Populations: Family Influences and the Role of the Medical Professional

Health Communication
Kate Magsamen-ConradSandra L Faulkner

Abstract

There are myriad technological devices, computer programs, and online information sources available for people to manage their health and the health of others. However, people must be technologically and health literate and capable of accessing, analyzing, and sharing the information they encounter. The authors interviewed middle-aged and older adults about their online health information seeking behavior and discovered that technology and health literacy are influenced by a collective ability to manage the health and technological needs of a family. We used information management theory to frame participants' experiences of their self-efficacy using technology to manage the health of loved ones. Findings suggest that health can be co-managed if at least one person in a family unit is technologically "savvy" and able to effectively share health information. However, individuals' confidence in their own literacy often depends on others, usually family members who tend to "do" instead of "teach."

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Citations

May 8, 2020·BMC Medical Research Methodology·Ivan BuljanAna Marušić
Apr 7, 2020·International Quarterly of Community Health Education·Leandro OliveiraMaria Daniel Vaz Almeida
Jan 18, 2019·Health Communication·Kate Magsamen-ConradClaire Youngnyo Joa
Nov 6, 2020·Journal of Health Communication·Linqi LuY Connie Yuan
Nov 9, 2021·British Journal of Health Psychology·Maša Popovac, Rizwana Roomaney

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