Health-related Internet Use Research Articles

Health-related Internet Use Among New Urology Clinic Patients

ObjectiveTo assess internet usage among new patients seen by urologists and impact on post-consultation understanding for four common conditions: kidney stones, elevated prostate specific antigen, male voiding, and female voiding. MethodsWe performed a prospective study of new urology patients at our diverse urban, academic urology practice for the above conditions over a 1-year period. A voluntary questionnaire assessed patients’ internet use related to referred conditions prior to encounters. Questions evaluated quality of information and patient understanding of symptoms/condition at baseline, after online searches, and after their urology visit. A patient-reported Likert scale of 1 (poor) to 10 (excellent) was used and internet “searchers” were compared to “non-searchers.” Results215 patients participated. Most respondents were Latino (41%) or Black (35%) and English-speaking (81%). Cohorts comprised 130 searchers (60%) and 85 non-searchers (40%). Searchers were significantly younger (median 53 vs. 63 years, P<0.001), more likely to have home internet access (P<0.001), and more general medical internet use (P<0.001). Overall, patients’ understanding of visit diagnoses increased after their encounters (median pre-visit rating 5 vs. post-visit rating 10). Searchers reported a greater post-visit understanding compared to non-searchers (median rating 10 vs. 9, P<0.001), and a greater change in understanding from baseline (median +4 vs. +3, P=0.02). ConclusionInternet use is common amongst younger patients referred to urologists and may be associated with improved understanding of their condition after urologic consultation. Continued investigation of patient uses of and attitude towards popular online resources can help urologists curate resources to benefit patients and providers alike.

Examining First- and Second-Level Digital Divide at the Intersection of Race/Ethnicity, Gender, and Socioeconomic Status: An Analysis of the National Health and Aging Trends Study.

Significant societal and technological changes in the 2010s called for an up-to-date understanding of the digital divide among older adults in the United States. This trend study aimed to examine the effects of race/ethnicity and the intersecting effects of race/ethnicity with other marginalized identities related to gender, income, education, and occupation on the first- and second-level digital divide. Utilizing a nationally representative sample of older community dwellers from the National Health and Aging Trends Study, we conducted weighted logistic regressions at 3 time points (2011/2013, 2015, and 2019). The first-level digital divide was measured by access to working phones or computers/laptops; the second-level divide was measured by 7 activities in personal task, social, and health-related Internet use. The first-level racial/ethnic digital divide became nonsignificant in 2019, whereas the disparities in all second-level measures persisted. The intersecting effects of race/ethnicity with low education and/or low income became nonsignificant in 2019 for personal-task use. However, the interactions with low education and/or low income became significant for social and health-related use in 2015 and/or 2019. This study highlights the persistence of the second-level racial/ethnic digital divide among older community dwellers in the United States, especially the exacerbated social and health-related digital divide for people of color with low socioeconomic status. By considering intersections of marginalized social identities, policymakers and stakeholders should develop targeted strategies to bridge the digital divide, promote health outcomes, and reduce health disparities.

EHealth literacy and health-related Internet use among Swedish primary healthcare visitors: Cross-sectional questionnaire study (Preprint)

eHealth literacy and health-related Internet use among Swedish primary healthcare visitors: Cross-sectional questionnaire study (Preprint)

“A Matter of Life and Death”: Mitigating the Gray Digital Divide in Using Health Information Technologies in the Post-Pandemic Era

ABSTRACT A pervasive issue in healthcare is that elderly populations have fallen far behind in using healthcare technologies, a phenomenon known as the gray digital divide. Even more concerningly, the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically catalyzed health digitization with the potential for lasting demographic-wide impacts. Against this backdrop and drawing on both the digital divide literature and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2), we investigated elderly populations’ usage of healthcare technologies through analyzing HINTS 6 (2022) survey data. Results show a widespread first- and second-level digital divide in using health information technologies (HITs) between people aged 65 and up and people aged 18–64, including Internet access, health-related Internet use, health-related social media use, health app use, use of wearable electronic health devices, telehealth visits, and accessing online medical records. Moreover, this study finds that education consistently positively predicts Internet use and use of various HITs by the elderly; income is the next reliable predictor but not as consistent as education. Health-related variables are less consistent in predicting the elderly’s use of HITs. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed to inform the mitigation of the gray digital divide in healthcare.

Disease-Related Internet Use and its Relevance to the Patient-Physician Relationship in Atopic Dermatitis: A Cross-Sectional Study in Germany.

Background: Health-related internet use presents both opportunities and challenges for patients and physicians and requires a comprehensive understanding to improve individual health care in atopic dermatitis (AD). Objective: To explore differences between regular and irregular disease-related internet users, reasons for disease-related internet use, and its relevance to the patient-physician relationship in AD. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 221 adults with AD online and from a German university clinic between August 2021 and February 2022. The questionnaire queried sociodemographic and disease-related information, reasons for and against using the internet, types of channels used, and the impact on the patient-physician relationship. Participants were categorized as regular (≥once per month) and irregular (<once per month) internet users. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: Regular disease-related internet use was prevalent (n = 122/221, 55.2%) and associated with self-assessed disease severity (P = 0.019). "Moderate" (odds ratio [OR]: 2.37, confidence interval [CI]: 1.16-4.86) and "severe" (OR: 2.84, CI: 1.12-7.19) psychological distress and general physician treatment (OR: 4.10, CI: 1.85-9.09) were the strongest predictors of regular use. Most respondents researched information to address gaps in physician-provided information (n = 107/173, 61.8%) or desired physician-recommended disease-related websites (n = 94/173, 54.3%). One-quarter (n = 39/172, 22.7%) indicated that discussing online health information with physicians strained the relationship. Conclusions: This study highlights the pivotal role of the internet for individuals affected by AD, warranting its consideration in patient education and access to health care. Physicians should provide information on suitable online resources and address concerns about discussing online activities to promote patient-centered health care.

Internet Addiction and COVID-19 Misbeliefs Among Hungarian Online Gamers: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The internet has become a part of everyday life, and during the COVID-19 pandemic the rate of internet use has raised even higher, which increases the possibility of compulsive and problematic use leading to the acceptance of online misbeliefs and conspiration theories. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the relationship between COVID-19-related misconceptions and internet addiction among adult recreational online gamers. A sample of 1671 recreational video game users completed the online survey (male: n = 1522 (91.08%), mean age = 21.83, SD = 4.18; female: n = 149 (8.91%), mean age = 24.33, SD = 8.38). Demographic questions, risk factors and health-related questions, internet use and addiction were measured alongside a short questionnaire about common COVID-19-related topics, such as its origin and risk of infection. Out of all participants 248 (14.8%) answered all the COVID-19-related questions properly, thus having no misconceptions, while 545 (32.6%) had one wrong answer, 532 (31.8%) had 2 wrong answers, 251 (15.0%) had 3 wrong answers, 78 (4.7%) had 4 wrong answers and 17 (1.0%) had 5 wrong answers. Significant factors to a higher number of COVID-misconceptions were time spent studying (χ2 (35,1671) = 63.86, p = 0.002), marital status (χ2 (15,1671) = 30.65 p = 0.01) and secondary employment (χ2 (51,671) = 14.88, p = 0.01). Although 17.1% of the participants reached the threshold score for internet addiction, the predictors of COVID-19 misconceptions were marital status (β = -0.06, p = 0.01) and time spent studying (β = 0.05, p = 0.03), while neither daily internet use, internet addiction scores or risk factors predicted these misconceptions in a linear regression model. Our study concludes that Internet addiction did not directly influence misconceptions about the COVID-19 pandemic in this population despite the surprisingly high rate of problematic users.

Factors Associated with Korean American Women's Health-Related Internet Use: Findings from Andersen's Behavioral Model.

Literature suggests that access to health information improves health outcomes in various medical domains. This study investigated health-related Internet use levels and examined which factors influence health-related Internet use in Korean American women, grounded by Andersen's Behavioral Model.Participants included 243 Korean American women aged 19-85 years old residing in a Southeastern metropolitan area. Health-related Internet use was assessed by 11 items taken from HINTS 4 Cycle 2. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to reveal factors significantly associated with health-related Internet use of Korean American women.Predisposing factors of being aged 60 or older (β = - 0.329, SE = 0.694, p = 0.004) and employment status (β = 0.179, SE = 0.404, p = 0.037), as well as an enabling factor of having a primary care physician (β = 0.217, SE = 0.423, p = 0.013), were significantly associated with health-related Internet use.The differences in health-related Internet use may exacerbate disparities in access to healthcare services. The primary care physician's role is important in enhancing health-related Internet use. Research, policy, and programmatic attention are necessary to enhance physicians' encouragement and education for patients to use existing digital technology to improve their health and wellness.

Patient centeredness, independent health-related Internet use, and online communication with healthcare providers in later life: A cross-sectional study

ObjectiveTo test the links between patient centeredness, independent health-related Internet use, and online communication with healthcare provider in later life. MethodsThese links were tested on a multivariable level through the prism of the socioemotional selectivity theory and the channel complementarity theory. The data were obtained from the Health Information National Trends Survey (Wave 5, Cycle 4) and analyzed using logistic regression models. The sample included older Internet users (N = 1165). ResultsLow patient centeredness corresponded to a decreased likelihood of communicating with healthcare providers online. No particular patient centeredness component was associated with the studied phenomenon. Online health information seeking corresponded to an increased likelihood of communicating with healthcare providers online. ConclusionPatient centeredness plays a relatively modest role in explanation of the online communication with healthcare providers in later life. In addition, older adults' online health information seeking behavior and online patient-provider communication seem to complement each other. Practice implicationsThe findings can serve public health officials for developing programs aimed at increasing the rates of the online communication with healthcare providers in older population. The findings can also serve healthcare providers in their efforts to improve the quality of (online) communication with their older patients.

Health Anxiety and eHealth Literacy as Predictors of Cyberchondria in Women

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate whether women's cyberchondria levels differ according to some socio-demographic demographic characteristics and the effect of health anxiety and e-health literacy on cyberchondria levels. Methods: The descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2022 and March 2023 with women who applied to the gynecology outpatient clinic of a state hospital. The purposive sampling method was used, and 178 women were included in the study. The data were collected using a personal information form, Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS), Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI), and eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS). ANOVA, t-test, Pearson correlation, and hierarchical linear regression analysis analyzed the data. Results: In this study, the cyberchondria levels of the participants differed according to some socio-demographic characteristics (p&lt; 0.05). The participants' mean score was 28.25 ± 8.45 on the CSS, 18.93 ± 10.78 on the HAI, and 25.65 ± 9.05 on the eHEALS. There was a positive and moderate relationship between the level of cyberchondria and health anxiety (r= 0.416; p=0.001) and e-health literacy (r= 0.378; p=0.001). Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that spending six hours or more on the Internet per day (β = 0.130), health anxiety (β = 0.319) and e-health literacy (β = 0.273) were predictors of cyberchondria (p&lt; 0.05), and these variables explained 35% of the variance in cyberchondria (F=14.279; p=0.001). Conclusion: The study provides new findings in health-related Internet use research and contributes to the ongoing debate on the possible predictors of cyberchondria.

IMPACT OF OLDER ADULTS’ INTERNET USE ON THE ECONOMIC BURDEN OF INFORMAL CAREGIVING

Abstract Objectives Digital technology enables older adults to live independently by handling health-related tasks or shopping/banking online, thus can reduce care burden. This study examines the impact of older adults’ Internet use on formal and informal care hours and its influence on estimating cost savings with active and potential Internet users. Methods Medicare beneficiaries ages 65 and above with functional difficulties were sampled from the 2015 National Health and Aging Trends Study (N=1,806). Care is measured by total hours for help older adults received in the past month, separated by formal and informal care. Internet use for health-related tasks and shopping/banking were measured. A survey weighted two-part model with gamma distribution was estimated. The cost savings of informal caregiving was estimated by a replacement approach. Results Older adults' health-related Internet use substantially reduced informal care hours by 27.7% (19.8 hours per month, p &amp;lt; .05), but not for formal care hours. A monthly estimated cost reduction of informal caregiving was $3,094 per an older adult with functional difficulties by applying 2020 median wage of home health aide workers. The annual savings in the cost of informal caregiving associated with older adults’ health-related Internet use is estimated to be $8.1 billion with the active users and additionally $20.1 billion with the potential health-related Internet users in the US. Discussion: Promoting health-related Internet use among older adults with functional difficulties to relieve economic burden of informal caregiving will be discussed.

IS ONLINE ACCESS AND ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH BETTER MOOD IN OLDER ADULTS LIVING ALONE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC?

Abstract Older adults living alone during the COVID-19 pandemic face risks for social isolation and mental health problems. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between access to internet-capable devices or utilizing email/ texting, social networking [SN], or health-related internet use [HIU] and psychological outcomes (depressive and anxiety symptoms) among older adults living in the community during the early months of the pandemic, March, 2020-May, 2020. A cross-sectional analysis of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS, Round 10) was conducted, using multivariable logistic regression. Adults aged ≥85y were more likely to live alone than those aged 65-84y (34.3% and 24.9% respectively, p&amp;lt; 0.001). Additionally, 39.6% of women lived alone compared with 21.2% of men (p&amp;lt; 0.001). Fewer people living alone had access to an internet-enabled device than those living with others (10.4% and 5.4%, respectively). Among older adults living alone, utilizing SN and HIU was associated with lower likelihood of depression or anxiety (Depression: adj.OR 0.36, CI 0.17-0.77; Anxiety: adj.OR 0.31 CI 0.13-0.76). Alternatively, among those living with others, using email/ texting was associated with lower likelihood of depression and anxiety (Depression: adj.OR 0.23, CI 0.13-0.46, Anxiety: 0.33 CI, 0.17-0.67). In summary, internet activity was associated with reduced risk for depression and anxiety among older adults who lived alone or with others early in the pandemic. Further research is needed to better understand the potentially mitigating role of internet activities among older adults at risk for isolation and associated mood disturbances.

Impact of health-related internet use on disease management behavior of chronic patients: Mediating role of perceived credibility of online information

During the last two decades, Internet use has increased in all parts of the world. Although, the trend of actively using the Internet for seeking health-related information was already on the rise, it accelerated soon after the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with the increased use of the Internet for health decisions, serious concerns have been raised due to fake or misinformation. This study aims to determine the impact of Internet use for gathering health-related information on the disease management behavior of patients and to identify the mediating role of perceived credibility of online information. The study surveyed 200 chronic disease patients with diabetes and hypertension from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad, Pakistan. It is concluded that overall health-related Internet use has a positive impact on the disease management behavior of chronic disease patients. The study further confirms the mediating role of the perceived credibility of online information. Patients who are frequent users of the Internet for health information, who perceive online information more credible, reported better disease management behavior as compared to the less frequent users and those who perceive online information less credible.

General Health Statuses as Indicators of Digital Inequality and the Moderating Effects of Age and Education: Cross-sectional Study.

Considerable effort has been directed to offering online health information and services aimed at the general population. Such efforts potentially support people to obtain improved health outcomes. However, when health information and services are moved online, issues of equality need to be considered. In this study, we focus on the general population and take as a point of departure how health statuses (physical functioning, social functioning, mental health, perceived health, and physical pain) are linked to internet access (spanning internet attitude, material access, internet skills, and health-related internet use). This study aims to reveal to what extent (1) internet access is important for online health outcomes, (2) different health statuses are important for obtaining internet access and outcomes, and (3) age and education moderate the contribution of health statuses to internet access. A sequence of 2 online surveys drawing upon a sample collected in the Netherlands was used, and a data set with 1730 respondents over the age of 18 years was obtained. Internet attitude contributes positively to material access, internet skills, and health outcomes and negatively to health-related internet use. Material access contributes positively to internet skills and health-related internet use and outcomes. Internet skills contribute positively to health-related internet use and outcomes. Physical functioning contributes positively to internet attitude, material access, and internet skills but negatively to internet health use. Social functioning contributes negatively to internet attitude and positively to internet skills and internet health use. Mental health contributes positively to internet attitude and negatively to material access and internet health use. Perceived health positively contributes to material access, internet skills, and internet health use. Physical pain contributes positively to internet attitude and material access and indirectly to internet skills and internet health use. Finally, most contributions are moderated by age (<65 and ≥65 years) and education (low and high). To make online health care attainable for the general population, interventions should focus simultaneously on internet attitude, material access, internet skills, and internet health use. However, issues of equality need to be considered. In this respect, digital inequality research benefits from considering health as a predictor of all 4 access stages. Furthermore, studies should go beyond single self-reported measures of health. Physical functioning, social functioning, mental health, perceived health, and physical pain all show unique contributions to the different internet access stages. Further complicating this issue, online health-related interventions for people with different health statuses should also consider age and the educational level of attainment.

Digital Technology Access and Health-Related Internet Use Among People Experiencing Homelessness in Hungary: Quantitative Survey.

In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of digital technology for personal health and well-being. Previous research has revealed that these technologies might provide vulnerable populations, including those who are homeless, better access to health services and thus a greater chance of more personalized care. However, little is known about the relationship between technology and health among people experiencing homelessness in Central and Eastern Europe. This study is part of a series of studies by the Digital Health Research Group at Semmelweis University (Budapest, Hungary) in cooperation with the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta; it aims to assess the existing technological resources available for the homeless population and their health-related internet use characteristics to set the ground for potential health policy interventions, enabling better access to health services by strengthening the digital components of the existing health care system. Between April 19, 2021, and August 11, 2021, a total of 662 people from 28 institutions providing social services for people experiencing homelessness in Budapest, Hungary, were surveyed about their access to digital tools and internet use patterns. For selected questions, the responses of a representative sample of the Hungarian population were used for comparison as the reference group. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify variables affecting internet use for health-related reasons. The results demonstrated a considerable level of internet use in the homeless population; 52.9% (350/662) of the respondents used the internet frequently compared with 81.3% (1220/1500) of the respondents in the reference group. Among the homeless group, 69.6% (461/662) of the respondents reported mobile phone ownership, and 39.9% (264/662) of the respondents added that it had a smartphone function. Moreover, 11.2% (70/662) of the respondents had already used a health mobile app, and 34.6% (229/662) of the respondents had used the internet for medical purposes. On the basis of these characteristics, we were able to identify a broadly defined, digitally engaged group among people experiencing homelessness (129/662, 19.5%). This subpopulation was inclined to benefit from digitalization related to their personal health. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that internet use for health reasons was more significant for younger respondents, women, those with higher levels of education, and those with no chronic conditions. Although compared with the general population, health-related internet use statistics are lower, our results show that the idea of involving homeless populations in the digital health ecosystem is viable, especially if barriers to access are systematically reduced. The results show that digital health services have great promise as another tool in the hands of community shelters for keeping homeless populations well ingrained in the social infrastructure as well as for disease prevention purposes.

Health-related Internet Use by Caregivers of Children and Adolescents With Cancer.

Caregivers of children with cancer have needs for information and social support related to their child's diagnosis. The internet serves as a resource to help meet these needs. There is growing interest in health-related internet use (HRIU) by caregivers of pediatric patients as the internet rapidly evolves. This survey study describes patterns of internet use by caregivers of children with cancer and examines associations between socioeconomic status and internet use. 114 caregivers participated between 2014 and 2016. The majority (82%) reported frequent general internet use, but fewer (25-54%) reported frequent HRIU. Very few respondents (4%) reported difficulty accessing the internet; those reporting difficulty were more likely to report lower income, public/no insurance, and lower educational attainment. There were no consistent associations between socioeconomic status variables and frequency of HRIU. Less than half (43%) of caregivers reported that their internet use raised questions that they discussed or planned to discuss with the child's nurse or doctor, and only 4% reported having changed medical decisions based on information found on the internet. We conclude that caregivers of children with cancer engage in HRIU, and this is an area for improvement in oncology anticipatory guidance and family-centered care.

Psychometric evaluation of the danish version of the electronic health literacy scale (eHEALS) in patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI): A cross-sectional validation study

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background/Introduction As many use the internet as a major source of health information, eHealth literacy has emerged as a potential concept for digital health care consumption. Therefore, healthcare professionals need to consider the eHealth literacy of patients when delivering health information to cardiac patients. Purpose The aim of this study was to translate and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Danish version of the Electronic Health Literacy Scale (eHEALS) in a population of Danish PCI treated patients. Methods The eHEALS was translated into Danish from the original English version, including forward translation, synthesis, backward translation and expert group consensus. The questionnaire was applied to a group of Danish PCI treated patients to be answered during hospital stay. Psychometric properties were assessed including internal consistency by Cronbach α, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with a priori specified 1-, 2- and 3-factor models were performed to explore construct validity. Socio-demographic and patient-reported outcomes including health literacy, health-related internet use, and health status were collected to examine correlations with eHEALS scores. Results A total of 1473 PCI treated patients were included in the analysis. The mean age was 66 years (SD 10.70) and more patients were males (n=1130, 78%). The mean value for the eHEALS score was 28.87 (SD 6.34), and the Cronbach α 0.94. The CFA indicated a good fit for three out of four of the goodness-of -fit indices. A mean difference on the eHEALS score between patients with the highest and lowest educational level was found to be 4.64 (95%CI, 2.43-6.85), p&amp;lt;0.0001. Strong correlations were observed between eHEALS scores and "ability to find good information"(r=0.636), "Understanding health information well enough to know what to do" (r=0.505), ‘patients’ perceived usefulness’ (r= 0.650) and ‘importance of using the internet’ (r=0.621). Moderate correlations were observed to ‘having used the internet to find information about health’ (r=0.464), and "Appraisal of health information" (r=0.462), and weak correlations to self-rated physical health (r=0.119), self-rated mental health (r=0.110), and social support (r=0.207). Conclusion The psychometric evaluation indicates that the Danish version of the eHEALS questionnaire is a valid instrument to measure eHealth literacy in patients treated with PCI, suggesting a multidimensional construct.

Online health information-seeking behaviour: an empirical study of managerial-level employees in Sri Lanka

PurposeOver the past few years, the internet has expanded rapidly, and it has been considered a systematic way that consumers use to retrieve health-related information. However, the existing literature does not provide an articulated view of online health information-seeking behaviour through an in-depth understanding of users’ searching-related behaviour. The objectives of this study are to identify the factors affecting consumers’ health-related internet use and recognise the relationships between those specified and health-related internet use. Finally, the recommendations are made based on the findings.Design/methodology/approachAn amalgamated model of technology acceptance model and health belief model was used to hypothesise health-related internet use behaviour, which is then tested using a cross-sectional survey of 287 Sri Lankan managerial-level employees. The covariance-based structural equation modelling with AMOS was used to check the study hypotheses.FindingsFindings of this study depict five factors contributing to consumers’ health-related internet use as follows: perceived health risk towards chronic diseases consisting of perceived susceptibility and perceived severity; health consciousness; perceived usefulness of the internet; perceived ease of internet use; and attitude towards health-related internet use. As theorised, the internet’s perceived usefulness was positively and significantly related to consumers’ use of health-related internet and attitude towards health-related internet use. But as hypothesised, perceived ease of internet use did not directly affect consumers’ use of health-related internet. Further, findings reveal that health-related internet use is estimated by perceived health risk than health consciousness.Originality/valueFindings reveal that Sri Lankan managerial-level employees have a reactive health behaviour driven by the perceived health risk and the desire to seek online health information.

Determinants of Acceptance of Weight Management Applications in Overweight and Obese Individuals: Using an Extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology Model.

Overweight and obesity carry a tremendous burden in terms of physiological and psychological comorbidities. There is a great variety of weight management applications to support weight reduction, but a systematical analysis of individuals’ needs and requirements to adopt sustaining lifestyle changes is missing so far. This study aimed to assess the acceptance of such applications and its underlying predictors in individuals with overweight/obesity. A cross-sectional study was conducted, including 439 overweight/obese individuals. Health-related internet use and acceptance of weight management applications were examined using a modified questionnaire based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The general acceptance of weight management applications was high, with significant age differences. Compared to older individuals, younger ones showed a higher acceptance. BMI was not significantly associated with acceptance. Besides psychometric data and eHealth-related data, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence proved to be significant predictors for acceptance. The total variance explanation provided by the extended UTAUT model was 61.2%. The knowledge of the influencing factors on acceptance might be useful in developing, optimizing, and establishing weight management applications. For determining acceptance and its predictors of weight management applications, the UTAUT model is a valid approach.

Internet Use among Patients with Schizophrenia and Depression

Background: The high and increasing prevalence of internet use in the general population and the significant burden of depression and schizophrenia urge us to investigate the patterns of internet use among patients with these illnesses. The aim of this study is to assess internet use and mental health-related internet use among patients suffering from schizophrenia and depression. Methods: A total of 104 patients with psychosis and 105 patients with depression were surveyed to assess their internet use and mental health-related internet use. Results: The majority of participants were internet users (87.6%), with 66.7% of internet users with psychosis and 71.4% of internet users with depression using it as a source of information on mental health. Participants with psychosis significantly more attributed the internet and mental health internet forums as helpful in coping with their mental illness and were more interested in the utilization of online mental health services than participants with depression. Conclusions: General internet use in patients with schizophrenia and depression corresponds with the internet use of the general population; however, they use it more often as a source of health information than the general population. Mental health service providers should offer more online interventions and treatment programs to patients with psychosis and depression, as our study suggests there is an unmet need for online mental health services for such patients.

Experiences of Web Searches for Medical Information Purposes on Health Anxiety in the general population reporting to tertiary care hospitals of Rawalpindi

Objective: To assess the prevalence of internet use for medical purposes by the general public and to correlate it with anxiety levels.&#x0D; Materials and methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in tertiary care hospitals of Rawalpindi from August to December 2020. Ethical approval was taken. A sample size of 385 was calculated through Rao software. Non-probability convenient sampling technique was used. Informed consent was taken. A validated questionnaire was used. The data was analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 25. Frequencies and percentages were calculated. Chi-square test of significance was applied. P-value less than .05 was considered as statistically significant.&#x0D; Results: A majority of the participants used the internet to obtain health-related information. Majority of the subjects stated that the health-related searches exacerbated their anxiety. The negative effects of excessive or inappropriate internet use are stronger in women than in men. Participants from lower income groups were more prone to anxiety, however participants from higher income groups were slightly more likely to visit a doctor for a perceived health condition. The internet was helpful in understanding the terminology used by doctors for majority of the participants.&#x0D; Conclusion: The study found that most people who use the internet also use it for health related searches. There is a positive correlation between excessive health-related internet use and health anxiety. This correlation is stronger in women. Looking up medical terminology on the internet makes it easier for patients to communicate with doctors and understand their condition.&#x0D; Keywords: Anxiety, web searches, internet, cyberchondria