Habits of Seeking and Scanning Health Information in Chilean Adults
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35669/revistadecomunicacionysalud.2016.6(1).29-42Keywords:
Incidental exposure; socioeconomic differences; health information; health self-care; audiencesAbstract
This study explores the behaviors of seeking and scanning information about the regular practice of physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption in a no probabilistic sample of 125 adult males and 125 adult females through a face to face survey in the city of Santiago, Chile. Seeking corresponds to active efforts done by the individual to obtain information; while scanning concerns incidental exposure to health information. The examined sources of information were doctors or other health professionals, relatives or friends, internet, television or radio and newspapers or magazines. Frequencies, crosstabs and logistic regressions were analyzed. It was found that in the sample scanning was more prevalent than seeking for some of the studied sources and that seeking was not more prevalent in any case. Women tend to scan and seek more than men and differences for socioeconomic level in health information seeking through the internet and newspapers and magazines were found.
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References
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Blanch-Hartigan, D., & Viswanath, K. (2015). Socioeconomic and sociodemographic predictors of cancer-related information sources used by cancer survivors. Journal of Health Communication, 20(2), 204-210. doi: 10.1080/10810730.2014.921742
Bonfadelli, H. (2002). The internet and knowledge Gaps: A theoretical and empirical investigation. European Journal of Communication, 17(1), 65-84. doi: 10.1177/0267323102017001607
Briscoe, M. E. (1987). Why do people go to the doctor? Sex differences in the correlates of GP consultation. Social Science & Medicine, 25(5), 507-513. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(87)90174-2
Galarce, E. M., Ramanadhan, S., Weeks, J., Schneider, E. C., Gray, S. W., & Viswanath, K. (2011). Class, race, ethnicity and information needs in post-treatment cancer patients. Patient Education and Counseling, 85(3), 432-439. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2011.01.030
Guillou, M., Carabantes, J., & Bustos, V. (2011). Disponibilidad de médicos y especialistas en Chile [Availability of physicians and specialists in Chile]. Revista Médica de Chile, 139, 559-570.
Hornik, R., Parvanta, S., Mello, S., Freres, D., Kelly, B., & Schwartz, J. S. (2013). Effects of scanning (routine health information exposure) on cancer screening and prevention behaviors in the general population. Journal of Health Communication, 18(12), 1422-1435. doi: 10.1080/10810730.2013.798381
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Lee, C.-j. (2009). The interplay between media use and interpersonal communication in the context of healthy lifestyle behaviors: Reinforcing or substituting? Mass Communication and Society, 13(1), 48-66. doi: 10.1080/15205430802694869
Lee, C.-j., Ramírez, A. S., Lewis, N., Gray, S. W., & Hornik, R. C. (2012). Looking beyond the internet: Examining socioeconomic inequalities in cancer information seeking among cancer patients. Health Communication, 27(8), 806-817. doi: 10.1080/10410236.2011.647621
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Miller, L. M. S., & Bell, R. A. (2012). Online health information seeking: The influence of age, information trustworthiness, and search challenges. Journal of Aging and Health, 24(3), 525-541. doi: 10.1177/0898264311428167
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Niederdeppe, J., Hornik, R. C., Kelly, B. J., Frosch, D. L., Romantan, A., Stevens, R. S., . . . Schwartz, J. S. (2007). Examining the dimensions of cancer-related information seeking and scanning behavior. Health Communication, 22(2), 153-167. doi: 10.1080/10410230701454189
Ramanadhan, S., & Viswanath, K. (2006). Health and the information nonseeker: A profile. Health Communication, 20(2), 131-139. doi: 10.1207/s15327027hc2002_4
Ramírez, A. S., Freres, D., Martinez, L. S., Lewis, N., Bourgoin, A., Kelly, B. J., . . . Hornik, R. C. (2013). Information seeking from media and family/friends increases the likelihood of engaging in healthy lifestyle behaviors. Journal of Health Communication, 18(5), 527-542. doi: 10.1080/10810730.2012.743632
Rutten, L. J. F., Squiers, L., & Hesse, B. (2006). Cancer-related information seeking: Hints from the 2003 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS). Journal of Health Communication, 11(sup001), 147-156. doi: 10.1080/10810730600637574
Shim, M. (2008). Connecting internet use with gaps in cancer knowledge. Health Communication, 23(5), 448-461. doi: 10.1080/10410230802342143
Shim, M., Kelly, B., & Hornik, R. (2006). Cancer information scanning and seeking behavior is associated with knowledge, lifestyle choices, and screening. Journal of Health Communication, 11(sup001), 157-172. doi: 10.1080/10810730600637475
Viswanath, K., & Ackerson, L. K. (2011). Race, ethnicity, language, social class, and health communication inequalities: A nationally-representative cross-sectional study. PLoS ONE, 6(1), 1-8. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0014550
Viswanath, K., & Emmons, K. M. (2009). Health communication and communication inequalities in addressing cancer disparities. In H. K. Koh (Ed.), Toward the Elimination of Cancer Disparities (pp. 277-298). New York, NY: Springer.
Zhao, X. (2014). Relationships between sources of health information and diabetes knowledge in the U.S. Hispanic population. Health Communication, 29(6), 574-585. doi: 10.1080/10410236.2013.784937
Attewell, P. (2001). The first and second digital divides. Sociology of Education, 74(3), 252. doi: 10.2307/2673277
Beaudoin, C. E., & Hong, T. (2011). Health information seeking, diet and physical activity: An empirical assessment by medium and critical demographics. International. Journal of Medical Informatics, 80(8), 586-595. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2011.04.003
Blanch-Hartigan, D., & Viswanath, K. (2015). Socioeconomic and sociodemographic predictors of cancer-related information sources used by cancer survivors. Journal of Health Communication, 20(2), 204-210. doi: 10.1080/10810730.2014.921742
Bonfadelli, H. (2002). The internet and knowledge Gaps: A theoretical and empirical investigation. European Journal of Communication, 17(1), 65-84. doi: 10.1177/0267323102017001607
Briscoe, M. E. (1987). Why do people go to the doctor? Sex differences in the correlates of GP consultation. Social Science & Medicine, 25(5), 507-513. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(87)90174-2
Galarce, E. M., Ramanadhan, S., Weeks, J., Schneider, E. C., Gray, S. W., & Viswanath, K. (2011). Class, race, ethnicity and information needs in post-treatment cancer patients. Patient Education and Counseling, 85(3), 432-439. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2011.01.030
Guillou, M., Carabantes, J., & Bustos, V. (2011). Disponibilidad de médicos y especialistas en Chile [Availability of physicians and specialists in Chile]. Revista Médica de Chile, 139, 559-570.
Hornik, R., Parvanta, S., Mello, S., Freres, D., Kelly, B., & Schwartz, J. S. (2013). Effects of scanning (routine health information exposure) on cancer screening and prevention behaviors in the general population. Journal of Health Communication, 18(12), 1422-1435. doi: 10.1080/10810730.2013.798381
Kelly, B., Hornik, R., Romantan, A., Schwartz, J. S., Armstrong, K., DeMichele, A., . . . Wong, N. (2010). Cancer information scanning and seeking in the general population. Journal of Health Communication, 15(7), 734-753. doi: 10.1080/10810730.2010.514029
Kelly, B. J., Niederdeppe, J., & Hornik, R. C. (2009). Validating measures of scanned information exposure in the context of cancer prevention and screening behaviors. Journal of Health Communication, 14(8), 721-740. doi: 10.1080/10810730903295559
Lee, C.-j. (2009). The interplay between media use and interpersonal communication in the context of healthy lifestyle behaviors: Reinforcing or substituting? Mass Communication and Society, 13(1), 48-66. doi: 10.1080/15205430802694869
Lee, C.-j., Ramírez, A. S., Lewis, N., Gray, S. W., & Hornik, R. C. (2012). Looking beyond the internet: Examining socioeconomic inequalities in cancer information seeking among cancer patients. Health Communication, 27(8), 806-817. doi: 10.1080/10410236.2011.647621
Lee, C.-J., Zhao, X., & Pena-y-Lillo, M. (2016). Theorizing the pathways from seeking and scanning to mammography screening. Health Communication, 31(1), 117-128. doi: 10.1080/10410236.2014.942769
Miller, L. M. S., & Bell, R. A. (2012). Online health information seeking: The influence of age, information trustworthiness, and search challenges. Journal of Aging and Health, 24(3), 525-541. doi: 10.1177/0898264311428167
Ministerio de Salud (2010). Encuesta Nacional de Salud ENS Chile 2009-2010 [Chile 2009-2010 National Health Survey]. Retrieved from: http://web.minsal.cl/portal/url/item/bcb03d7bc28b64dfe040010165012d23.pdf
Molina, F. J. F. (2005). Brecha e inclusión digital en Chile: Los desafíos de una nueva alfabetización. [ Gap and digital inclusion in Chile: The challenges of a new literacy] Comunicar: Revista Científica Iberoamericana de Comunicación y Educación(24), 77-84.
Niederdeppe, J., Hornik, R. C., Kelly, B. J., Frosch, D. L., Romantan, A., Stevens, R. S., . . . Schwartz, J. S. (2007). Examining the dimensions of cancer-related information seeking and scanning behavior. Health Communication, 22(2), 153-167. doi: 10.1080/10410230701454189
Ramanadhan, S., & Viswanath, K. (2006). Health and the information nonseeker: A profile. Health Communication, 20(2), 131-139. doi: 10.1207/s15327027hc2002_4
Ramírez, A. S., Freres, D., Martinez, L. S., Lewis, N., Bourgoin, A., Kelly, B. J., . . . Hornik, R. C. (2013). Information seeking from media and family/friends increases the likelihood of engaging in healthy lifestyle behaviors. Journal of Health Communication, 18(5), 527-542. doi: 10.1080/10810730.2012.743632
Rutten, L. J. F., Squiers, L., & Hesse, B. (2006). Cancer-related information seeking: Hints from the 2003 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS). Journal of Health Communication, 11(sup001), 147-156. doi: 10.1080/10810730600637574
Shim, M. (2008). Connecting internet use with gaps in cancer knowledge. Health Communication, 23(5), 448-461. doi: 10.1080/10410230802342143
Shim, M., Kelly, B., & Hornik, R. (2006). Cancer information scanning and seeking behavior is associated with knowledge, lifestyle choices, and screening. Journal of Health Communication, 11(sup001), 157-172. doi: 10.1080/10810730600637475
Viswanath, K., & Ackerson, L. K. (2011). Race, ethnicity, language, social class, and health communication inequalities: A nationally-representative cross-sectional study. PLoS ONE, 6(1), 1-8. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0014550
Viswanath, K., & Emmons, K. M. (2009). Health communication and communication inequalities in addressing cancer disparities. In H. K. Koh (Ed.), Toward the Elimination of Cancer Disparities (pp. 277-298). New York, NY: Springer.
Zhao, X. (2014). Relationships between sources of health information and diabetes knowledge in the U.S. Hispanic population. Health Communication, 29(6), 574-585. doi: 10.1080/10410236.2013.784937
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How to Cite
Sofía Peña, Macarena, and Lillo Arayasa. 2016. “Habits of Seeking and Scanning Health Information in Chilean Adults”. Revista de Comunicación y Salud 6 (1):29-42. https://doi.org/10.35669/revistadecomunicacionysalud.2016.6(1).29-42.
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