scholarly journals General and Health-Related Internet Use Among Cancer Survivors in the United States: A 2013–2018 Cross-Sectional Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 1468-1475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Christopher Dee ◽  
Vinayak Muralidhar ◽  
Santino S. Butler ◽  
Zizi Yu ◽  
Sybil T. Sha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Higher Educational Attainment

Background: A significant proportion of cancer survivors endorse ongoing health information needs and may use the internet to access information. We assessed patterns and predictors of general and health-specific internet use among cancer survivors. Methods: Using data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), which was administered in 2013 through 2018, for adults reporting a cancer diagnosis, sample weight-adjusted estimates defined prevalence and multivariable logistic regressions defined adjusted odds ratios (aORs) of general and health-specific internet use, adjusting for relevant sociodemographic covariates, including healthcare satisfaction as the primary independent variable. The analysis for health-specific internet use was also repeated including a sex (female vs male)*healthcare satisfaction (very satisfied/somewhat satisfied vs somewhat dissatisfied/very dissatisfied) interaction term. Results: Among 12,970 survivors of cancer, general and health-specific internet use increased from 2013 to 2018 (from 63.2% to 70.8% and from 46.8% to 52.2%, respectively; P<.05 for both). Survivors who were very dissatisfied with healthcare were more likely to use the internet for health information compared with those who were very satisfied (59.5% vs 48.0%; aOR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.20–2.64; P=.004). Younger age, female sex, higher educational attainment, and higher socioeconomic status were all associated with increased reported use of the internet for both general and health-specific purposes (P<.001 for all). There was a significant sex*healthcare satisfaction interaction (P=.009) such that for female survivors, healthcare dissatisfaction was associated with higher odds of health-specific internet use (61.4% vs 52.5%; P<.001; men, P=.97). No association was found between healthcare satisfaction and general internet use (P=.42). Conclusions: The increasing proportion of survivors of cancer using the internet for health-specific information may be associated with self-reported dissatisfaction with healthcare. Efforts are needed to improve both access to the internet and the quality of cancer-relevant online health information, and to enhance patients’ online health literacy.

Psychological Distress in Men With Breast Cancer

2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Brain ◽  
Buddug Williams ◽  
Rachel Iredale ◽  
Liz France ◽  
Jonathon Gray
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Avoidance Coping ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Potential Risk Factors

Purpose This article reports the first United Kingdom study to examine the prevalence of psychological distress in men with breast cancer and the factors associated with increased distress. Patients and Methods One hundred and sixty-one men with breast cancer completed a cross-sectional questionnaire that included measures of anxiety and depressive symptoms, cancer-specific distress, body image, coping, information and support needs, and clinical and demographic variables. Results Clinical levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms were reported by 6% and 1% of men, respectively, while 23% reported high levels of cancer-specific distress. Anxiety was most strongly associated with avoidance coping and fear and uncertainty about the future (42% of the variance in anxiety scores, P < .001). Depressive symptoms were associated with altered body image (35% of the variance, P < .001). Body image, avoidance coping, referral to the study by a clinician, fear and uncertainty, and wanting to receive more gender-specific information together explained 51% of the variance in cancer-related distress (P < .001). Clinical and demographic factors did not account for a significant proportion of the variance in any of the distress measures. Conclusion Although the prevalence of clinical anxiety and depressive symptoms were low in this sample, almost a quarter of men experienced traumatic stress symptoms specific to breast cancer. Potential risk factors for distress include the use of avoidant coping strategies, negative body image, feelings of fear and uncertainty in relation to breast cancer, and unmet information needs. Suggestions are made for improving the information and support available to men with breast cancer.

scholarly journals Internet utilization for health information and its associated factors among undergraduate students in Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia - A cross sectional study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mintesnot Hawaze Derseh ◽  
Kassahun Dessie Gashu ◽  
Tekeba Meshesha ◽  
Baye Ashenafi ◽  
Abebe Getachew Wolde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Addis Ababa ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Addis Ababa University

Abstract Background: Utilization of Internet is critical to retrieve health information particularly for countries where health care delivery system is incongruent with its population otherwise it could be difficult to address all health problems of the people with limited health professionals. This study sought to determine the magnitude of the Internet use for health information and its associated factors.Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the status of Internet utilization to access health information and its associated factors among the undergraduate students in Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.Methods: A facility based cross-sectional study was conducted among 845 undergraduate students who were selected by Stratified multi-stage sampling from 19 randomly selected departments of Addis Ababa University. Data were collected from March to April 2019 using a pretested structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. The data were entered in to Epi-Info version 7 and exported to the SPSS version 23 for analysis. A binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between the study and outcome variables. Result: Almost all 761 (98.8%) of the University students have ever used the Internet for general purposes. Among these the proportion of Internet use, about 59.1% (95% CI: 55.5-62.7) of them used the Internet for health information. Adjusting for all other factors in the final model, Digital health literacy (AOR=1.656, 95% CI: (1.143, 2.397), field of study (AOR= 0.025, 95% CI: (0.007, 0.087), year of study (AOR= 1.609, 95% CI: (1.130, 2.290), and computer device ownership (AOR= 2.314, 95% CI: (1.392, 3.844) were found to be significantly associated with the Internet use for health information.Conclusion: The proportion of Internet use for health information was found to be lower. Digital health literacy, being health science student, year of study and computer ownership were found to be important predictors.

scholarly journals Social and Demographic Patterns of Health-Related Internet Use Among Adults in the United States: A Secondary Data Analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (18) ◽  
pp. 6856 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rose Calixte ◽  
Argelis Rivera ◽  
Olutobi Oridota ◽  
William Beauchamp ◽  
Marlene Camacho-Rivera
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Demographic Patterns ◽  
National Trends

National surveys of U.S. adults have observed significant increases in health-related internet use (HRIU), but there are documented disparities. The study aims to identify social and demographic patterns of health-related internet use among U.S. adults. Using data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 4 cycle 3 and HINTS 5 cycle 1, we examined HRIU across healthcare, health information seeking, and participation on social media. Primary predictors were gender, race/ethnicity, age, education, income, and nativity with adjustments for smoking and survey year. We used multivariable logistic regression with survey weights to identify independent predictors of HRIU. Of the 4817 respondents, 43% had used the internet to find a doctor; 80% had looked online for health information. Only 20% had used social media for a health issue; 7% participated in an online health support group. In multivariable models, older and low SES participants were significantly less likely to use the internet to look for a provider, use the internet to look for health information for themselves or someone else, and less likely to use social media for health issues. Use of the internet for health-related purposes is vast but varies significantly by demographics and intended use.

Computer and internet use in vascular outpatients - ready for interactive applications?

VASA ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 338-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richter ◽  
Schneider ◽  
Klein-Weigel
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Arterial Disease ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Interactive Applications ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Health Care Applications

Background: Exploring patients’ computer and internet use, their expectations and attitudes is mandatory for successful introduction of interactive online health-care applications in Angiology. Patients and methods: We included 165 outpatients suffering from peripheral arterial disease (PAD; n = 62) and chronic venous and / or lymphatic disease (CVLD; n = 103) in a cross-sectional-study. Patients answered a paper-based questionnaire. Results: Patients were predominantly female (54.5 %). 142 (86.1 %) reported regular computer use for 9.7 ± 5.8 years and 134 (81.2 %) used the internet for 6.2 ± 3.6 years. CVLD-patients and internet-user were younger and higher educated, resulting in a significant difference in computer and internet use between the disease groups (p < 0.01 for both). Time spent online summed up to 4.3 ± 2.2 days per week and 1.44 ± 1.2 hours per day for all internet users without significant differences between the groups. The topics retrieved from the internet covered a wide spectrum and searches for health information were mentioned by 41.2 %. Although confidence in the internet (3.3 ± 1.1 on a 1-6 Likert scale) and reliability in information retrieved from the internet (3.1 ± 1.1) were relatively low, health-related issues were of high actual and future interest. 42.8 % of the patients were even interested in interactive applications like health educational programs, 37.4 % in self-reported assessments and outcome questionnaires and 26.9 % in chatforums; 50 % demanded access to their medical data on an Internetserver. Compared to older participants those < 50 yrs. used the internet more often for shopping, chatting, and e-mailing, but not for health information retrieval and interactive applications. Conclusions: Computers are commonly used and the internet has been adopted as an important source of information by patients suffering from PAD and CVLD. Besides, the internet offers great potentials and new opportunities for interactive disease (self-)management in angiology. To increase confidence and reliability in the medium a careful introduction and evaluation of these new online applications is mandatory.

scholarly journals Health literacy and e-health literacy among Arabic-speaking migrants in Sweden: a cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina Bergman ◽  
Ulrica Nilsson ◽  
Karuna Dahlberg ◽  
Maria Jaensson ◽  
Josefin Wångdahl
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Ehealth Literacy ◽  
Arabic Speakers ◽  
Sum Scores ◽  
Arabic Speaking

Abstract Background Health inequities arise when the public cannot access and understand health information in an easy, accessible, and understandable way. Evidence supports that health literacy (HL) is a determinant for health outcomes, and when HL is limited this may have a major impact on morbidity as well as mortality. Migrants are known to have limited HL. Therefore, this study aimed to explore comprehensive health literacy (CHL) and electronic health literacy (eHL) among Arabic-speaking migrants in Sweden. Methods This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted in Sweden. A total of 703 persons were invited to participate between February and September 2019. Two questionnaires – the Health Literacy Survey European Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q16) and the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) – and questions about self-perceived health and Internet use were distributed in Swedish and Arabic. Various statistical analyses were performed to determine the associations for limited CHL and eHL. Results A total of 681 respondents were included in the analysis. Of these, 334 (49%) were native Arabic-speaking migrants and 347 (51%) were native Swedish-speaking residents. CHL and eHL differed between the groups. The Arabic speakers had significantly lower mean sum scores in eHL 28.1 (SD 6.1) vs 29.3 (6.2), p = 0.012 and lower proportion of sufficient CHL 125 (38.9%) vs 239 (71.3%), p < 0.001 compared to Swedish speakers. Multiple regression analysis showed on associations between limited CHL and eHL and being Arabic speaking, less Internet use, and not finding the Internet to be important or useful. Furthermore, longer time spent in Sweden was associated with higher levels of CHL among the Arabic speakers, (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.91–0.98, p < 0.01). Conclusions CHL and eHL differ between Arabic-speaking migrants and native Swedish speakers, but also between Arabic speakers who have lived different lengths of time in Sweden. Though it seems that the eHealth literacy is less affected by language spoken, the Internet is suggested to be an appropriate channel for disseminating health information to Arabic-speaking migrants.

A cross-sectional survey among physicians on Internet use for epilepsy-related information (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Brigo ◽  
Simona Lattanzi ◽  
Giorgia Giussani ◽  
Laura Tassi ◽  
Nicola Pietrafusa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Internet Use ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Therapeutic Decisions ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Web

BACKGROUND The Internet has become one of the most important sources of health information, accessed daily by an ever-growing number of both patients and physicians, seeking medical advice and clinical guidance. A deeper insight into the current use of the Web as source of information on epilepsy would help in clarifying the individual attitude towards this medium by Internet users. OBJECTIVE We investigated views towards the Internet in a sample of Italian healthcare specialists involved in epilepsy field, to explore factors which explained the influence of information found on the internet. METHODS This study was a self-administered survey conducted in a group of members of the Italian Chapter of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) in January 2018. RESULTS 184 questionnaires were analyzed. 97.8% of responders reported to seek online information on epilepsy. The Internet was most frequently searched to obtain new information (69.9%) or to confirm a diagnostic or therapeutic decision (37.3%). The influence of consulting the Internet on clinical practice was associated with registration to social network(s) (OR: 2.94; 95%CI: 1.28-6.76; p=0.011), higher frequency of Internet use (OR: 3.66; 95%CI: 1.56-9.21; p=0.006) and higher confidence in reliability of online information (OR: 2.61; 95%CI: 1.09-6.26; p=0.031). No association was found with age, sex, years in epilepsy practice or easiness to find online information. CONCLUSIONS Internet is frequently used among healthcare professionals involved in the epilepsy to obtain information about this disease. The attitude of being influenced by the Internet for diagnostic and/or therapeutic decisions in epilepsy is independent on age and years of experience in epilepsy, and probably reflects an individual approach towards the Web.

Sources of Information About Gestational Weight Gain, Diet, and Exercise Among Brazilian Immigrant Women Living in the United States: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-41
Author(s):  
Ana Cristina Lindsay ◽  
Qun Le ◽  
Denise Lima Nogueira ◽  
Márcia M. T. Machado ◽  
Mary L. Greaney
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Gestational Weight Gain ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Gestational Weight ◽  
Diet And Exercise ◽  
First Time

Abstract Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess sources of information about gestational weight gain (GWG), diet, and exercise among first-time pregnant Brazilian women in the United States (US). Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: Massachusetts, United States. Participants: First-time pregnant Brazilian women. Results: Eighty-six women, the majority of whom were immigrants (96.5%) classified as having low-acculturation levels (68%), participated in the study. Approximately two-thirds of respondents had sought information about GWG (72.1%), diet (79.1%), and exercise (74.4%) via the internet. Women classified as having low acculturation levels were more likely to seek information about GWG via the internet (OR = 7.55; 95% CI: 1.41, 40.26) than those with high acculturation levels after adjusting for age and receiving information about GWG from healthcare provider (doctor or midwife). Moreover, many respondents reported seeking information about GWG (67%), diet (71%), and exercise (52%) from family and friends. Women who self-identified as being overweight pre-pregnancy were less likely to seek information about diet (OR = 0.32; 95% CI: 0.11, 0.93) and exercise (OR = 0.33; 95% CI: 0.11, 0.96) from family and friends than those who self-identified being normal weight pre-pregnancy. Conclusions: This is the first study to assess sources of information about GWG, diet, and exercise among pregnant Brazilian immigrants in the US. Findings have implications for the design of interventions and suggest the potential of mHealth intervention as low-cost, easy access option for delivering culturally and linguistically tailored evidence-based information about GWG incorporating behavioral change practices to this growing immigrant group.

Information needs of breast cancer patients and how educational status influence their information needs in Ghana

2021 ◽  
pp. 096100062098161
Author(s):  
Benedicta Boadi ◽  
George Tesilimi Banji ◽  
Patrick Adzobu ◽  
Stephen Okyere
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Educational Status ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Military Hospital ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients

Health information literacy plays a critical role in self-management practices among patients living with chronic health conditions. However, there are limited studies on information needs among breast cancer patients in Ghana. This paper therefore investigated the information needs of women living with breast cancer in Ghana and how educational status influenced their information needs. The study was conducted in two health facilities in Accra, Ghana (37 Military Hospital and Sweden Ghana Medical Centre). A total of 75 breast cancer patients were conveniently selected from the two health facilities for the study. The instrument used to elicit relevant data for this study was a questionnaire using the survey design. Data was analysed descriptively. The findings of the study revealed that the information needs of the breast cancer patients investigated were centred mainly around treatment and management information and less around preventive information. The patients also ranked diagnostic information as their highest need, followed by physical care information, treatment information, psychosocial information and disease-specific information in that order. Patients with higher education reported higher information need on all the five domains compared to those with lower education. The study therefore recommended that management of health facilities make health information literacy an integral component of their treatment and management of breast cancer.

Health information needs, sources, and barriers of primary care patients to achieve patient-centered care: A literature review

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 992-1016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina A Clarke ◽  
Joi L Moore ◽  
Linsey M Steege ◽  
Richelle J Koopman ◽  
Jeffery L Belden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Search ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Medical Condition ◽  
Information Access ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Common Information ◽  
Primary Care Patients

To synthesize findings from previous studies assessing information needs of primary care patients on the Internet and other information sources in a primary care setting. A systematic review of studies was conducted with a comprehensive search in multiple databases including OVID MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Scopus. The most common information needs among patients were information about an illness or medical condition and treatment methods, while the most common information sources were the Internet and patients’ physicians. Overall, patients tend to prefer the Internet for the ease of access to information, while they trust their physicians more for their clinical expertise and experience. Barriers to information access via the Internet include the following: socio-demographic variables such as age, ethnicity, income, education, and occupation; information search skills; and reliability of health information. Conclusion: Further research is warranted to assess how to create accurate and reliable health information sources for both Internet and non-Internet users.

Internet Addiction and the Pattern of Internet Use among Under Graduate Medical Students: A Cross- Sectional Study from North India

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priyanka . ◽  
R K Pal
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Internet Addiction ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
North India ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Undergraduate Medical Students ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significance Level

Introduction: Excessive use of the Internet affects the academic achievements of students. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Internet addiction and the pattern of Internet use among undergraduate medical students. Method: This analytical cross-sectional study conducted on 177 undergraduate medical students in batch 2016, 2017 and 2018, who were included in this study by convenience sampling method. The study tool was  Young’s Internet Addiction Test containing questions regarding the pattern of Internet use. Data entry and analysis was done by using Microsoft excel and SPSS version 21. Qualitative data were described in terms of frequency and percentage while quantitative data were expressed as mean and standard deviation. Chi square test and multiple linear regression were used to find out the relationship between various factors and Internet Addiction (IA).  The significance level was considered 0.05. Results: The mean age of the participants was 20.3 years (± 1.19), and 62 % of the subjects were males. The prevalence rate of Internet Addiction (IA) was found to be 56.5% and 42.9% of them were in mild and 13.6% were in moderate addiction category. Being male (β= -0.143, p=0.038), staying at a hostel (β= 0.167, p=0.018), not having a time preference for using the Internet (β= -0.174, p=0.012), spending more time on the Internet everyday (β= 0.201, p=0.000), being always online (β= 0.276, p=0.000) and more years of using the Internet (β= 0.175, p=0.015) were significantly related with IA in students. Conclusion: A large proportion of medical students were found to be addicted to the Internet. Therefore, this issue should be addressed immediately.

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