Googling for Wellness: Online health information-seeking behavior and e-health literacy

Abstract

Rapid advancements in information and communication technologies are altering the health information landscape. Internet-based health information has become a competitive alternative to human visits to hospitals and medical institutions, resulting in more people searching online than healthcare facilities. Additionally, this behavior becomes more common during pandemics, which could indicate improved e-health literacy. Understanding the behavioral patterns of people seeking information regarding health on Internet pages is crucial, especially in Malaysia, to more effectively determine their requirements and emphasize changes that can be implemented to enhance the overall context of Internet information on health reliability and accessibility. Besides, there have been relatively limited studies in this area within the local context. A quantitative study with a cross-sectional survey was conducted among working adults in a household with 100% access to the Internet. Samples were chosen by convenience sampling (n=401) with online data collection using Google Forms through various social media platforms, including Facebook page, WhatsApp, and Telegram. The bilingual self-administered online questionnaire form utilized an established instrument measuring Online Health Information-Seeking Behavior (OHISB) and e-health literacy with good reliability and validity scores (α=0.76, I-CVI=0.96). The retrieved data was then arranged, cleaned, and computed in SPSS v.28 for data analysis using descriptive and Pearson Chi-square and the significance value was set at p<0.05. This study strictly adheres to ethical principles and ensures appropriate ethical standards are upheld throughout the conduct. Overall, seeking health information online is prevalent in Malaysia, and there are various types, reasons, and sources based on each preference. The overall mean of eHealth literacy is 34.3 ± 3.8. A significant association was observed between OHISB and eHealth literacy (p<0.05). The current study provides insightful evidence highlighting the significant findings in online health information-seeking behavior and eHealth literacy across sociodemographic and pattern variables. The association between OHISB and eHealth literacy may serve as a baseline for people to improve their knowledge of health information, protect them from misinformation, and drive advancements in user-friendly health sites. Besides, health ministries and health-related agencies may strategize aggressively using the online platform to enhance health information dissemination and improve people's capacity to access and address a variety of health-decision decision-making options. Expanding the scope to a larger population, including healthcare providers, is a valuable step forward.