Abstract
BackgroundStudies of factors associated with the use of Internet-based health information generally focus on general, rather than migrant populations. This study looked into the reasons why Internet-based health information is used and the effects of migration-related factors, other socio-demographic characteristics and health-related factors on the tendency to consult the Internet.MethodsIn a cross-sectional survey conducted in eight superdiverse neighbourhoods - two each in Birmingham, United Kingdom; Bremen, Germany; Lisbon, Portugal and Uppsala, Sweden - participants were presented with six scenarios and asked to indicate the resources they most relied on when addressing a health concern from a given list. The scenarios included establishing the underlying causes of a health concern and seeking information about prescription drugs, treatments and services available as part of the public healthcare system. The list of resources included the public healthcare system, alternative medicine, family and friends, and the Internet. Frequencies for which the Internet was consulted for each different scenario were calculated and compared across the participating cities. The association between consulting Internet-based health information and migration-related factors, and further socio-demographic characteristics as well as health-related factors such as self-reported health and health literacy was assessed using multivariable logistic regressions.ResultsOf the 2570 participants from all four cities who were included in the analyses, 47% had a migrant background and 35% originated from non-EU countries. About a third reported relying on Internet-based health information for at least one of the given scenarios. The two most frequently chosen scenarios were to find out about other possible treatments and prescription drugs. Generally, using Internet-based health information was negatively associated with being a first generation migrant (OR 0.65; 95% CI 0.46–0.93), having poor local language competency (OR 0.25; 95% CI 0.14–0.45), older age (≥60 years, OR 0.21; 95% CI 0.15–0.31), low education (OR 0.35; 95% CI 0.24–0.50) and positively associated with low trust in physicians (OR 2.13; 95% CI 1.47–3.10).ConclusionOur findings indicate the need to consider migration background and language competency when promoting the provision of healthcare services via the Internet so that information and services are widely accessible.
Highlights
Studies of factors associated with the use of Internet-based health information generally focus on general, rather than migrant populations
The majority of persons with a migrant background originated from non-European Union (EU) countries, and at the time of the survey, more than 38% of them had been living in the country of current residence for up to ten years
Based on a survey conducted in eight superdiverse neighbourhoods in four European cities, this study looked at how migration background and other migration-related factors, along with health-related and socio-economic factors, might influence the use of Internet-based health-related information when addressing health concerns
Summary
Studies of factors associated with the use of Internet-based health information generally focus on general, rather than migrant populations. This study looked into the reasons why Internet-based health information is used and the effects of migration-related factors, other socio-demographic characteristics and health-related factors on the tendency to consult the Internet. In 2014, 80% of respondents to a survey conducted in the EU28 countries reported having used the Internet for private purposes during the previous 12 months, 59% on a daily basis and 15% up to 3 times a week [3]. One area in which the Internet has become well-established is healthcare, in particular for sharing health-related information aimed at the general population. In the EU28 survey mentioned above, almost 60% of those who had used the Internet during the previous 12 months reported using it to search for health information. There is considerable crosscountry variation, with the highest use being observed in the Netherlands (73%), Sweden (70%) and Denmark (70%), and the lowest in Malta (49%) and Romania (47%) [3]
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