Health Information Acquisition Research Articles

Parental Phubbing Behavior and Adolescents' Online Gaming Time: The Mediating Role of Electronic Health Literacy.

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between parents' phubbing behavior and children's online gaming time. More importantly, we investigated the mediating role of electronic health literacy in this association. A total of 1200 questionnaires were sent out and 1130 effective questionnaires were returned, an effective recovery of 94.17%. As some students did not answer part of the EHL survey, eventually only 867 students were included in this study based on the selected independent variables and the degree of questionnaire completion. Both tools used for measuring parental phubbing and electronic health literacy passed confirmatory factor analyses. To analyze the mediating effect of electronic health literacy on parental phubbing behavior and online gaming time, 5000 datapoints were sampled using the Bootstrapping method. The results indicated that parents' phubbing was positively related to their children's online gaming time, which was mediated by electronic health literacy, parental phubbing is positively and significantly correlated with electronic health literacy, and electronic health literacy is negatively and significantly correlated with online gaming time among adolescents. Electronic health literacy partially mediates the relationship between parental phubbing behavior and adolescent online gaming time, and Chinese students' electronic health literacy is a two-dimensional structure consisting of health information acquisition and application. This study is the first empirical study to explore the relationship between parental phubbing behavior and the amount of time adolescents spend playing games online.

Use of new-media health information among the elderly and its effect on their health and health management

BackgroundThe aim of this study to explore the use of new-media health information and its influence on their health and health management.MethodsA total of 208 elderly people in Qiqihar City were selected as the survey objects, and a questionnaire was used to investigate their access to health information through new-media platforms. We analyze the factors ( e.g., education、pre-retirement occupation, etc.) in the use of health information on new-media platforms.Results: Monthly income, educational level, pre-retirement occupation and attention of the new-media of the elderly had significant effects on health information acquisition (p < 0.05).ConclusionThe use of new-media health information among the elderly was diversified and had an impact on their health management. We should standardize the management of new-media health information dissemination platforms and publicize the use of new-media health information in a targeted way, to improve the self-health management of the elderly and reduce their burden on the national medical system.

Exploring Social Media Use Among Young Adults for Health Information Acquisition

The purpose of this study is to investigate the usage of social media platforms to obtain health-related information among young adults in Pakistan. Considering the increasing reliance on digital sources for health-related inquiries, especially among the youth, this study aims to examine the prevalence and impact of social media in this context within the context of Pakistani culture. People get to connect more and learn about their issues and health. A survey is conducted to study aims to identify factors that young adults' engagement with social media health information and their beliefs of the credibility and trustworthiness of such sources. By shedding light on these dynamics, the findings of this study can help develop targeted interventions and educational initiatives aimed at promoting healthy reading and responsible online behaviour among Pakistani youth. A survey is scheduled in four universities based in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The departments of social sciences, IT, Public Health, Psychology and Media Sciences. 300 Students are reached out to get the objectives done. The knowledge gained from this study is well-positioned to guide focused interventions and educational initiatives meant to cultivate in Pakistani youth a culture of responsible online engagement and informed decision-making. This research has identified the underlying motives and behaviours that are connected with online health-seeking practices, and it has determined the influences on engagement with health content on social media and appraised opinions about the validity and dependability of such sources. The study has resulted in some significant findings that could be used for us to design programs and interventions that would guide young Pakistanis on how they can embrace technology responsibly while keeping themselves secure while online.

Do digital health information searches of individuals with chronic diseases affect health literacy and patient empowerment? A path analysis.

To analyze the relationship between chronically ill patients' behaviors in acquiring and verifying health information from a digital environment with health literacy and patient empowerment using a structural equation modeling approach. This study was carried out in a public hospital in Turkey between February and May 2023. The study consisted of 365 participants and used descriptive and correlation-based designs for statistical analyses. It also executed computations for descriptive statistics and correlations to carry out a path analysis to assess model fitness and to identify direct and indirect effects. This study identified that Web 1.0 and health information acquisition and digital verification variables statistically and significantly affected access to information, understanding information, appraisal (valuing)/evaluation, and application/use variables. The study also found that access to information variables was statistically significant on identity/identicalness, self-control, decision-making, and recognition and comprehension. The tested model fit the data well and adequately explained the direct effects of the variables. The study concluded by suggestively improving the chronically ill patients' media or digital literacy levels through special training to stimulate their internet use effectively.

외국인 근로자의 건강정보 취득 어려움과 관련된 요인

Independent variables included sociodemographic characteristics such as country of origin, subjective health level, and health insurance subscription, length of stay in Korea, language difficulties when using medical care, experiences of discrimination, and social networks. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with difficulty in acquiring health information. As a result of the analysis, 49.5% of the sample experienced difficulty in acquiring health information. Factors associated with relatively high difficulty in obtaining health information include having a spouse, country of origin (Cambodia, Philippines, Myanmar, China), low subjective health level, short total length of stay in Korea, experiencing language difficulties when using medical care, experiencing discrimination, and a lack of interaction with Korean colleagues. Based on the results of this study, we proposed measures such as developing an intercultural communication competency education program for medical personnel, institutional changes in the employment permit system, and development of visual online information materials to increase foreign workers' acquisition of health information.

외국인 근로자의 건강정보 취득 어려움과 관련된 요인

Independent variables included sociodemographic characteristics such as country of origin, subjective health level, and health insurance subscription, length of stay in Korea, language difficulties when using medical care, experiences of discrimination, and social networks. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with difficulty in acquiring health information. As a result of the analysis, 49.5% of the sample experienced difficulty in acquiring health information. Factors associated with relatively high difficulty in obtaining health information include having a spouse, country of origin (Cambodia, Philippines, Myanmar, China), low subjective health level, short total length of stay in Korea, experiencing language difficulties when using medical care, experiencing discrimination, and a lack of interaction with Korean colleagues. Based on the results of this study, we proposed measures such as developing an intercultural communication competency education program for medical personnel, institutional changes in the employment permit system, and development of visual online information materials to increase foreign workers' acquisition of health information.

외국인 근로자의 건강정보 취득 어려움과 관련된 요인

Independent variables included sociodemographic characteristics such as country of origin, subjective health level, and health insurance subscription, length of stay in Korea, language difficulties when using medical care, experiences of discrimination, and social networks. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with difficulty in acquiring health information. As a result of the analysis, 49.5% of the sample experienced difficulty in acquiring health information. Factors associated with relatively high difficulty in obtaining health information include having a spouse, country of origin (Cambodia, Philippines, Myanmar, China), low subjective health level, short total length of stay in Korea, experiencing language difficulties when using medical care, experiencing discrimination, and a lack of interaction with Korean colleagues. Based on the results of this study, we proposed measures such as developing an intercultural communication competency education program for medical personnel, institutional changes in the employment permit system, and development of visual online information materials to increase foreign workers' acquisition of health information.

Pregnant Women's Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccination: An Examination of Attitudes, Perceptions, and Health Information Acquisition

Aim Determining the impact of pregnant women's attitudes towards vaccination, perception of COVID-19 causes, and tendencies in acquiring health information from digital platforms on their vaccination status. Methods This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted between January 6 and February 28, 2022, and the sample consisted of 325 pregnant women. Data was collected using “Personal Information Form”, “Attitudes Towards the COVID-19 Vaccine Scale”, “Perception of Causes of COVID-19 Scale”, and “Obtaining and Verifying Health Information from Digital Media Scale”. Data analysis was done with the SPSS statistical program using independent two-sample t-test, chi-square test and, logistic regression analyzes to identify predictors. Statistical significance was accepted as p

The impact of internet use on health among older adults in China: a nationally representative study

Background and objectivesAging poses a significant challenge worldwide, with China’s aging status becoming particularly severe. What is the impact of Internet use on the health of the elderly? Existing studies have drawn conflicting conclusions that Internet use improves or harms health. The purpose of this study was to explore how Internet use affects the health of older adults, and the mechanisms and heterogeneity of these effects.Research design and methodsBased on Grossman’s theory, this paper constructs a health production function model. Using the data of China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) from 2014 to 2020, we investigated the impact of Internet use on the health of older adults using fixed effect model and instrumental variable method. We also examined the mediating role of health information acquisition, lifestyle, and social interaction in these associations.ResultsInternet use is positively associated with self-rated health and negatively associated with psychological sub-health level. Internet use promotes the health of older adults by facilitating access to health information, healthy lifestyles, and enhancing social interaction. And the impacts are heterogeneous at the individual and regional levels.Discussion and implicationsWe should progressively enhance the level of internet accessibility for older adults, while concurrently addressing and narrowing the ‘digital divide’. By generating an abundance of superior health-related information, we can significantly improve health education tailored for the elderly. Additionally, it is crucial to offer extensive training opportunities designed to equip older adults with the necessary skills to proficiently navigate the internet.

Mechanisms of mental illness anti-stigma messaging matter: Leveraging mental health communication inequities among Latinx populations to understand what works and what we can do better

BackgroundSince 1950, public communication about the neurobiological-psychosocial basis of mental illness from the diathesis-stress model has promoted reception to treatment yet violent/dangerous stereotypes have increased during this period. Moreover, public mental health communication efforts have predominantly diffused in English-language media, excluding Spanish/Latinx media and its consumers from these efforts. To inform future mental health communication strategies, this study leverages high versus low diffusion of public mental health communication across English and Spanish/Latinx media to examine public mental health communication effects on stigma and treatment beliefs via neurobiological-psychosocial beliefs. MethodsA quota sample of 2058 U.S.-based Latinx residents ages 13–86 with diverse language/cultural media preferences was recruited to self-complete a survey about mental health information acquisition in 2021. Assessments ascertained frequency of Spanish/Latinx and English media use and mental health content scanning and seeking (α = 0.86–0.94); and items from the General Social Survey about mental illness neurobiological-psychosocial causal beliefs (α = 0.72)—genetics, brain chemistry, environment, stress; treatment beliefs—mental illness improves with treatment or on its own; and stigma beliefs—violent/dangerous and bad character stereotypes and unwillingness to socialize with a person with mental illness. Structural equation models estimated total, direct, and indirect effects of Spanish/Latinx and English media exposures on treatment and stigma beliefs via neurobiological-psychosocial beliefs, net individual/family factors. ResultsSpanish/Latinx media reduced, while English media increased, neurobiological-psychosocial beliefs (p < 0.01). Neurobiological-psychosocial beliefs, in turn, increased treatment and stigma beliefs (p < 0.01), simultaneously. Indirect pathways were also significant (p < 0.05). Proportion mediated on treatment beliefs was one-third for Spanish/Latinx and two-thirds for English media. Proportion mediated on stigma beliefs for all media exposures averaged ≥1. ConclusionsWhile consumers of Spanish/Latinx media report lower neurobiological-psychosocial knowledge that impedes treatment beliefs, consumers of English media report greater neurobiological-psychosocial and treatment knowledge and, consequently, more stigma. Innovation in public mental health communication is needed to counter stigma and health inequity.

A Transtheoretical Model-Based Online Intervention to Improve Medication Adherence for Chinese Adults Newly Diagnosed With Type 2 Diabetes: A Mixed-Method Study.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasing in China, with medication non-adherence being a significant contributor to uncontrolled T2DM. The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) has shown effectiveness in chronic disease management, but few studies have applied it in online interventions for T2DM medication adherence. The study aimed to develop and investigate the effects of a TTM-based online health education program on promoting positive stage of change (SOC) movement, improving self-efficacy and medication adherence, as well as reducing HbA1c levels in newly diagnosed patients with T2DM. This sequential mixed-method study was conducted from April 2023 to March 2024. Using the TTM framework, the study initially explored 32 participants' experiences with hypoglycemic medications, health information acquisition, and perspectives on online programs. Then, a quasi-experimental study design was conducted. Two communities were randomly assigned as the intervention (n = 91) and comparison (n = 98) groups, with 189 newly diagnosed middle-aged T2DM patients from various SOC. The intervention group received short videos health education and participated in WeChat group discussions, compared with usual care in the comparison group. Data were collected at baseline, 3-month, and 6-month follow-ups. The intervention group was more likely to achieve positive SOC movement (P < .001, Adj OR = 13.69 95% CI = 6.76-27.71) compared to the comparison group. The intervention group also had significantly higher mean CDMSS-11 and MMAS-8 scores at 6 months (P = .03 and <.001, respectively) and more likely to achieve clinically significant glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) change at 3 months (P < .001, Adj OR = 3.91, 95% CI = 1.77-8.63) and at 6 months (P < .001, Adj OR = 5.62, 95% CI = 2.70-11.69) compared to the comparison group. These findings support that applying the TTM to develop an online program could promote behavior change, improve self-efficacy and medication adherence, and could lead to better glycemic control in newly diagnosed T2DM patients.

Profiles of digital health literacy among university students and its association with mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A latent profile analysis.

Investigating the digital health literacy of university students can facilitate their effective acquisition of health information and adoption of appropriate protective behaviors. This study aims to explore the subtypes of digital health literacy among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic and their association with mental health outcomes. From 17 November to 14 December 2022, a stratified random sampling approach was used to conduct an online questionnaire survey on digital health literacy, fear of COVID-19, and depression status among students at Jilin University, China. A total of 1060 valid responses were obtained in the survey. Latent profile analysis identified subtypes of digital health literacy and linear regression analyses were used to examine the association of digital health literacy to the mental health outcome. Three latent profiles were identified: Profile 1-low digital health literacy (n = 66, 6.23%), Profile 2-moderate digital health literacy (n = 706, 66.60%), and Profile 3-high digital health literacy (n = 288, 27.17%). Results from linear regression demonstrated a negative correlation between digital health literacy and fear of COVID-19 (B = -2.954, P < 0.001) as well as depression (B = -2.619, P < 0.001) among university students. This study indicated that the majority of university students exhibit a moderate level of digital health literacy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the study validates a negative correlation between digital health literacy and mental health among university students.

Research on Public Health Information Acquisition Based on Bibliometrics and Visual Analysis

Research on Public Health Information Acquisition Based on Bibliometrics and Visual Analysis

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH INFORMATION-SEEKING BEHAVIORS AMONG US-BASED LATINO ADULTS AGES 50–86

Abstract Introduction As U.S.-based Latino populations disproportionately experience chronic disease and age earlier than their non-Latino white counterparts, attentiveness to knowledge gaps in health communication is critical to address health disparities among Latino older adults. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey among U.S.-based Latinos ages 50-86 (N=274; 2021) that measured physical and mental health information seeking across four sources—TV/radio/print-media, Internet/social-media, family/friends, and healthcare providers. Linear regression models examined patterns of personal, family, and mental health factors on each information seeking outcome. Results Foreign-born Latinos had lower odds of mental health info-seeking on Internet/social media (p&amp;lt; 0.05) than U.S.-born Latinos. Compared to higher educational attainment, low education reduced odds of physical/mental health info-seeking in all media sources (p&amp;lt; 0.05). Family mental health history vs none saw 3-5 times the odds of physical/mental health info-seeking to all sources (p&amp;lt; 0.01). Additionally, moderate/severe mental health vs mild/none was associated with 2-3 times the odds of physical/mental health info-seeking among family/friends and healthcare providers (p&amp;lt; 0.01). English media use increased odds of physical health info-seeking in TV/radio/print-media and family/friends (p&amp;lt; 0.05), while Spanish/English media use increased odds of mental health info-seeking to healthcare providers (p&amp;lt; 0.05). Conclusions Latino older adults report diverse yet unique patterns in health information acquisition. Those with self/familial mental illness especially seek health information more often than Latinos without a lived experience. Findings demonstrate the need to apply culturally appropriate health communication strategies to address the needs of older Latino adults, with special focus on families coping with mental illnesses.

PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS AND NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES IN OLDER SUB-SAHARA AFRICANS

Abstract Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the fastest-growing proportion of older individuals globally. Concurrently, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a growing burden in the SSA aging population. An essential step towards reducing NCDs is an enhanced understanding of the various diseases and discussing their psychosocial risk factors. This session will provide a unique depiction of the occurrence and measurements of NCDs and their associations with psychosocial factors in aging SSA adults. Dr. Muruthi and colleagues present the psychometric properties of a Swahili-translated Kessler 6 scale in aging Kenyans. Drs Nwakasi and Esiaka discuss HIV health information acquisition among older Nigerian women who are cancer survivors. Dr. Esiaka and colleagues discuss psychosocial determinants of early cancer detection and survivorship among older Nigerian men. Drs. Adamek and Dr. Kotecho will present information about the extent of depression among older adults in Sub-Saharan Africa and an understanding of the factors contributing to high rates of geriatric depression. Findings from this session will help elucidate our understanding of NCDs and related psychosocial factors, a necessary step for developing robust evidence-based interventions to reduce non-communicable diseases (and their effects) among aging people in SSA.

A deep learning and clustering‐based topic consistency modeling framework for matching health information supply and demand

AbstractImproving health literacy through health information dissemination is one of the most economical and effective mechanisms for improving population health. This process needs to fully accommodate the thematic suitability of health information supply and demand and reduce the impact of information overload and supply–demand mismatch on the enthusiasm of health information acquisition. We propose a health information topic modeling analysis framework that integrates deep learning methods and clustering techniques to model the supply‐side and demand‐side topics of health information and to quantify the thematic alignment of supply and demand. To validate the effectiveness of the framework, we have conducted an empirical analysis on a dataset with 90,418 pieces of textual data from two prominent social networking platforms. The results show that the supply of health information in general has not yet met the demand, the demand for health information has not yet been met to a considerable extent, especially for disease‐related topics, and there is clear inconsistency between the supply and demand sides for the same health topics. Public health policy‐making departments and content producers can adjust their information selection and dissemination strategies according to the distribution of identified health topics, thereby improving the effectiveness of public health information dissemination.

Aging in cyberspace: Exploring health information acquisition among older WeChat users

A growing number of older adults are using social media to acquire health information through active information search (i.e., information seeking) and routine exposure to media sources (i.e., information scanning). In China, as in other societies, social media platforms have become a mixed source of credible and unreliable health information that could impact older adults’ health self-management. Understanding factors associated with their use of social media to acquire health information is crucial for promoting smart online information practices among older adults. Against this backdrop, this study explored the association between two cognitive factors (outcome expectancy and efficacy) and two relational factors (social support and health opinion leadership) with older WeChat users’ health information seeking and scanning behaviors. We conducted a paper-and-pencil survey with 407 older adults aged 60 and above ( M = 68.54, SD = 6.21) in an eastern city in China. The results indicated that older WeChat users’ health information scanning was associated with their health status, efficacy, social support, and health opinion leadership. Additionally, their health information seeking was associated with their education, efficacy, health opinion leadership, and frequency of health information scanning. This paper concludes with discussions on the theoretical and practical implications of the findings.

LCA-YOLOv8-Seg: An Improved Lightweight YOLOv8-Seg for Real-Time Pixel-Level Crack Detection of Dams and Bridges

Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) provide a solution for dam and bridges structural health information acquisition, but problems like effective damage-related information extraction also occur. Vision-based crack detection methods can replace traditional manual inspection and achieve fast and accurate crack detection. This paper thereby proposes a lightweight, real-time, pixel-level crack detection method based on an improved instance segmentation model. A lightweight backbone and a novel efficient prototype mask branch are proposed to decrease the complexity of the model and maintain the accuracy of the model. The proposed method attains an accuracy of 0.945 at 129 frames per second (FPS). Moreover, our model has smaller volume, lower computational requirements and is suitable for low-performance devices.

Post-stroke experiences and health information needs among Chinese elderly ischemic stroke survivors in the internet environment: a qualitative study.

Elderly stroke survivors are encouraged to receive appropriate health information to prevent recurrences. After discharge, older patients seek health information in everyday contexts, examining aspects that facilitate or impair healthy behavior. To explore the experiences of older stroke patients when searching for health information, focusing on search methods, identification of health information, and difficulties faced during the search process. Using the qualitative descriptive methodology, semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen participants. Participants associated the health information they sought with concerns about future life prospects triggered by perceived intrusive changes in their living conditions. Based on the participants' descriptions, four themes were refined: participants' motivation to engage in health information acquisition behavior, basic patterns of health information search, source preferences for health information, and difficulties and obstacles in health information search, and two search motivation subthemes, two search pattern subthemes, four search pathway subthemes, and four search difficulty subthemes were further refined. Older stroke patients face significant challenges in searching for health information online. Healthcare professionals should assess survivors' health information-seeking skills, develop training programs, provide multichannel online access to health resources, and promote secondary prevention for patients by improving survivors' health behaviors and self-efficacy.

Digitale, personalisierte Gesundheitsinformationsangebote von Ärzt*innen: Ergebnisse einer Befragung von Patient*innen und Ärzt*innen zu Akzeptanz und Anforderungen

ZusammenfassungHintergrundDie Aneignung von Gesundheitsinformationen ist grundlegend für die Verantwortungsübernahme von Patient*innen. Um dies zu unterstützen, müssen neue Wege der Informationsbereitstellung gefunden werden. Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden die digitale, personalisierte Bereitstellung von Gesundheitsinformationen durch Ärzt*innen betrachtet und ihre Verbreitung sowie die Nutzungsintention und Anforderungen von Patient*innen und Ärzt*innen untersucht.MethodenDurchgeführt wurden jeweils eine Online-Befragung einer für die deutsche Bevölkerung stratifizierten Stichprobe von Patient*innen (N = 1000) sowie eine Online-Befragung von Ärzt*innen (N = 364) zum Thema digitale, personalisierte Gesundheitsinformationsangebote. Es wurden die Art der Informationsbereitstellung im ärztlichen Setting, die Nutzungsintention sowie Anforderungen an digitale Informationsangebote erfasst.ErgebnisseDigitale, personalisierte Informationsangebote sind bisher selten. Patient*innen würden ein solches Angebot allerdings befürworten, während Ärzt*innen skeptischer eingestellt sind. Die Patient*innen legen Wert auf die Nutzerfreundlichkeit und die Informationsqualität. In Bezug auf die Darstellungsform werden Texte tendenziell wichtiger eingeschätzt als Videos. Ärzt*innen ist dagegen wichtig, dass das Angebot von einem oder einer vertrauenswürdigen Anbieter*in stammt, leitlinienkonform und kostenlos ist.DiskussionDie Potenziale der digitalen Transformation der Informationsbereitstellung werden bisher nur bedingt ausgeschöpft. Während bei Patient*innen die Grundlage einer erfolgreichen Implementierung gegeben zu sein scheint, gilt es, aufseiten der Ärzt*innen Vorbehalte abzubauen, den Nutzen entsprechender Angebote zu kommunizieren und systemische Anreize zu schaffen.