IS THERE A CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ONLINE HEALTH INFORMATION SEEKING AND ANXIETY AMONG OLDER ADULTS?

Abstract

Abstract The growth of the Internet has provided users unlimited access to an abundance of information, including health information. The Internet is typically the first source searched by U.S. adults (18 years and older) when seeking health information. Factors such as age and anxiety are associated with online health information seeking (OHIS). Older adults (65 years and older) are increasing their Internet use and OHIS, although OHIS decreases with age. Importantly, OHIS can lead to improved health outcomes for older adults. The relationship between OHIS and anxiety is less clear, with some studies finding individuals with higher anxiety are more likely to search for online health information while others find the reverse pattern. Anxiety affects up to 20% of older adults and is often unrecognized and untreated. Given the lack of research examining the relationship between OHIS and anxiety among older adults and the proportion of older adults who experience anxiety, we analyzed six waves (2015- 2020) of data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study to assess the causal relationship between anxiety and OHIS using a Random Intercept Cross-lagged Panel Model framework, a statistical approach to assess causal relationships. These results suggest that anxiety is leading to OHIS in the next wave, rather than the reverse; however, OHIS was not related to anxiety in the next wave. This suggests that OHIS is not capable of mitigating older adults’ anxiety. Practitioners working with older adults should be aware that older adults may need additional support to manage their anxiety.