Measuring Online Health Information Seeking Skills and its Related Factors in a Middle-Aged Population

Background: Internet is an important source of online health information seeking. Middle-aged people, may face more health-threatening challenges if they lack seeking skills. Therefore, the evaluation of seeking skills on health information in middle-aged people needs to be further studied. Objectives: The purpose of this paper was to examine the Online Health Information-Seeking Skills (OHISS) and its related factors in middle-aged people. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in ۲۰۲۱ on ۴۳۰ middle-aged people in Kashan. Participants were selected with the cluster-random method. The data were collected using the Online Health Information Seeking Skills scale (OHISS), Social Participation, and Attitude General Technology questionnaires. The data were analyzed using t-test, Pearson's correlation, and liner regression using SPSS ۱۶.۰ statistical software. Results: The mean (SD) age of participants was ۴۷.۶۹ (۵.۹۶) years old. The mean (SD) score of OHISS was ۶۰.۳۱ (۲۰.۸۶) on a scale of ۰ to ۱۰۰. Pearson correlation coefficients showed a positive correlation between OHISS with technology attitude (r= ۰.۴۵, p<۰.۰۰۱), and social participation (r= ۰.۱۷, p=۰.۰۰۳), and a negative correlation with age (r= -۰.۲۲, p<۰.۰۰۱). There was a significant relationship between OHISS and education (t= -۳.۹۷, p<۰.۰۰۱), and was no significant relationship with gender, marital status, occupational status, and income (p>۰.۰۵). Liner regarrison analysis shows that age, education, and technology attitude explained ۳۰% of the OHISS variance in middle-aged people. Conclusion: Internet skills are the key to achieving online health information. Assessing the level of skills and its predictors can be an intervention guide for health policymakers to prevent health inequalities and help maintain or improve the health of middle-aged people.

Keywords:

health information , online , skill , Middle aged