Social structure, technological efficacy, and online health information seeking: A test of the integrative model of online health information seeking

• Main Author: Bernadas, Jan Michael Alexandre C.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2015
• Subjects: Medical informatics; Information behavior; Health behavior; Health Information Technology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/12996
• Institution: De La Salle University

Drawing warrant from Integrative Model of Online Health Information Seeking, this article examines the direct effects of race and socio–economic status (SES) on online health information seeking (OHIS). It also examines the mediating effect of technological efficacy on the influence of race and SES on OHIS. Using secondary data from survey (N= 3014) conducted by Pew Internet & American Life Project by Pew Research Center, results suggest that education and employment have direct effects on OHIS. Moreover, education and employment status influence OHIS through technological efficacy. In other words, people who completed higher levels of education and who were employed were likely to be competent in using the Internet, and in turn, were likely to engage in OHIS. Alarmingly, these findings partially support the claim that the unfavorable influence of social structures on knowledge, attitude, and practice with regard to health also permeates the Internet. Implications to health communication theory and research are discussed.