Online Health Information–Seeking Among Older Women With Chronic Illness: Analysis of the Women’s Health Initiative
BackgroundUnderstanding how older patients with chronic illnesses use the internet to obtain health information is relevant for the design of digital interventions aimed at improving the health and well-being of adults aged 65 years and older; this cohort represents the sickest, most expensive, and...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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JMIR Publications
2020-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of Medical Internet Research |
| Online Access: | http://www.jmir.org/2020/4/e15906/ |
| _version_ | 1831648522510794752 |
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| author | Sedrak, Mina S Soto-Perez-De-Celis, Enrique Nelson, Rebecca A Liu, Jennifer Waring, Molly E Lane, Dorothy S Paskett, Electra D Chlebowski, Rowan T |
| author_facet | Sedrak, Mina S Soto-Perez-De-Celis, Enrique Nelson, Rebecca A Liu, Jennifer Waring, Molly E Lane, Dorothy S Paskett, Electra D Chlebowski, Rowan T |
| author_sort | Sedrak, Mina S |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundUnderstanding how older patients with chronic illnesses use the internet to obtain health information is relevant for the design of digital interventions aimed at improving the health and well-being of adults aged 65 years and older; this cohort represents the sickest, most expensive, and fastest-growing segment of the US population.
ObjectiveThe objective of our study was to describe online health information–seeking behavior among older patients with chronic illnesses and to compare the characteristics of patients who report using the internet to obtain health information with those who do not.
MethodsThe study population included 72,806 women aged 65 years and older enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), a national cohort study, who completed a 2014 supplemental questionnaire assessing everyday technology use and internet use for researching health conditions. Comparisons were made between participants with and without a history of chronic illness and between users and nonusers of online sources for health information. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs.
ResultsOf the total, 59% (42,887/72,806) of older women used the internet for health information. Compared with women who did not use the internet to obtain health information, those who used the internet were younger (median age: 76 vs 81 years), more likely to be non-Hispanic white (90% [38,481/42,887] vs 87% [26,017/29,919]), earned a higher income (over $US 50,000: 55% [23,410/42,887] vs 33% [9991/29,919]), achieved a higher educational level (more than high school: 87% [37,493/42,887] vs 75% [22,377/29,919]), and were more likely to live with a partner (52% [22,457/42,887] vs 36% [10,759/29,919]) (all P<.001). Women with Alzheimer disease were least likely to report online health information–seeking compared to those without the disease (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.38-0.43). In contrast, women with a recent diagnosis of cancer, within the previous 2 years (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.11-1.36) or 2-5 years ago (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.00-1.19), were most likely to use the internet for health information.
ConclusionsNearly 6 in 10 older women participating in the WHI reported using the internet to obtain health information. Patients recently diagnosed with cancer are more likely to be looking for health information online, even after adjustment for age, suggesting that these patients may have a greater need for digital health resources. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T14:33:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-21fd5caba79644f4910b652687869bbb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1438-8871 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T14:33:39Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Medical Internet Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-21fd5caba79644f4910b652687869bbb2022-12-21T20:17:22ZengJMIR PublicationsJournal of Medical Internet Research1438-88712020-04-01224e1590610.2196/15906Online Health Information–Seeking Among Older Women With Chronic Illness: Analysis of the Women’s Health InitiativeSedrak, Mina SSoto-Perez-De-Celis, EnriqueNelson, Rebecca ALiu, JenniferWaring, Molly ELane, Dorothy SPaskett, Electra DChlebowski, Rowan TBackgroundUnderstanding how older patients with chronic illnesses use the internet to obtain health information is relevant for the design of digital interventions aimed at improving the health and well-being of adults aged 65 years and older; this cohort represents the sickest, most expensive, and fastest-growing segment of the US population. ObjectiveThe objective of our study was to describe online health information–seeking behavior among older patients with chronic illnesses and to compare the characteristics of patients who report using the internet to obtain health information with those who do not. MethodsThe study population included 72,806 women aged 65 years and older enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), a national cohort study, who completed a 2014 supplemental questionnaire assessing everyday technology use and internet use for researching health conditions. Comparisons were made between participants with and without a history of chronic illness and between users and nonusers of online sources for health information. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs. ResultsOf the total, 59% (42,887/72,806) of older women used the internet for health information. Compared with women who did not use the internet to obtain health information, those who used the internet were younger (median age: 76 vs 81 years), more likely to be non-Hispanic white (90% [38,481/42,887] vs 87% [26,017/29,919]), earned a higher income (over $US 50,000: 55% [23,410/42,887] vs 33% [9991/29,919]), achieved a higher educational level (more than high school: 87% [37,493/42,887] vs 75% [22,377/29,919]), and were more likely to live with a partner (52% [22,457/42,887] vs 36% [10,759/29,919]) (all P<.001). Women with Alzheimer disease were least likely to report online health information–seeking compared to those without the disease (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.38-0.43). In contrast, women with a recent diagnosis of cancer, within the previous 2 years (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.11-1.36) or 2-5 years ago (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.00-1.19), were most likely to use the internet for health information. ConclusionsNearly 6 in 10 older women participating in the WHI reported using the internet to obtain health information. Patients recently diagnosed with cancer are more likely to be looking for health information online, even after adjustment for age, suggesting that these patients may have a greater need for digital health resources.http://www.jmir.org/2020/4/e15906/ |
| spellingShingle | Sedrak, Mina S Soto-Perez-De-Celis, Enrique Nelson, Rebecca A Liu, Jennifer Waring, Molly E Lane, Dorothy S Paskett, Electra D Chlebowski, Rowan T Online Health Information–Seeking Among Older Women With Chronic Illness: Analysis of the Women’s Health Initiative Journal of Medical Internet Research |
| title | Online Health Information–Seeking Among Older Women With Chronic Illness: Analysis of the Women’s Health Initiative |
| title_full | Online Health Information–Seeking Among Older Women With Chronic Illness: Analysis of the Women’s Health Initiative |
| title_fullStr | Online Health Information–Seeking Among Older Women With Chronic Illness: Analysis of the Women’s Health Initiative |
| title_full_unstemmed | Online Health Information–Seeking Among Older Women With Chronic Illness: Analysis of the Women’s Health Initiative |
| title_short | Online Health Information–Seeking Among Older Women With Chronic Illness: Analysis of the Women’s Health Initiative |
| title_sort | online health information seeking among older women with chronic illness analysis of the women s health initiative |
| url | http://www.jmir.org/2020/4/e15906/ |
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