Dataset Information

Effect of Online Health Information Seeking on Anxiety in Hospitalized Pregnant Women: Cohort Study.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:There are approximately 1,000,000 pregnant women at high risk for obstetric complications per year, more than half of whom require hospitalization. OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to determine the relation between online health information seeking and anxiety levels in a sample of hospitalized woman with pregnancy-related complications. METHODS:A sample of 105 pregnant women hospitalized in northern Italy, all with an obstetric complication diagnosis, completed different questionnaires: Use of Internet Health-information (UIH) questionnaire about use of the internet, EuroQOL 5 dimensions (EQ-5D) questionnaire on quality of life, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaire measuring general anxiety levels, and a questionnaire about critical events occurring during hospitalization. RESULTS:Overall, 98/105 (93.3%) of the women used the internet at home to obtain nonspecific information about health in general and 95/105 (90.5%) of the women used the internet to specifically search for information related to their obstetric disease. Online health information-seeking behavior substantially decreased the self-reported anxiety levels (P=.008). CONCLUSIONS:Web browsing for health information was associated with anxiety reduction, suggesting that the internet can be a useful instrument in supporting professional intervention to control and possibly reduce discomfort and anxiety for women during complicated pregnancies.

SUBMITTER: Coglianese F

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7240442 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Effect of Online Health Information Seeking on Anxiety in Hospitalized Pregnant Women: Cohort Study.

Coglianese Fabiana F Beltrame Vriz Giulia G Soriani Nicola N Piras Gianluca Niccolò GN Comoretto Rosanna Irene RI Clemente Laura L Fasan Jessica J Cristiano Lucia L Schiavinato Valentina V Adamo Valter V Marchesoni Diego D Gregori Dario D

JMIR medical informatics 20200506 5

<h4>Background</h4>There are approximately 1,000,000 pregnant women at high risk for obstetric complications per year, more than half of whom require hospitalization.<h4>Objective</h4>The aim of this study was to determine the relation between online health information seeking and anxiety levels in a sample of hospitalized woman with pregnancy-related complications.<h4>Methods</h4>A sample of 105 pregnant women hospitalized in northern Italy, all with an obstetric complication diagnosis, complet ...[more]

PMID: 32374268

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Understanding 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. OBJECTIVE:The 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. METHODS:The 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. RESULTS:Of 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. CONCLUSIONS:Nearly 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.

Project description:BackgroundToday, many cancer patients engage in online health information seeking (OHIS). However, little is known about how patients differ in their OHIS levels. In addition, OHIS might influence patient participation during a consultation with a physician, which might mediate the effects on patient outcomes.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is twofold: first, to provide insight into which personal characteristics and psychosocial factors affect patients' OHIS levels and, second, to test the hypothesis that the effects of OHIS on patient outcomes are mediated by patient participation during the consultation.MethodsPatient participation was operationalized in terms of patients' absolute word count; the relative contribution of the patient, compared with the health care provider; and the number of questions and assertions expressed during the consultation. The patient outcomes measured were anxiety after the consultation, satisfaction with the consultation, and information recall. Participants in this study were patients recently diagnosed with colorectal cancer recruited from 6 hospitals in the Netherlands (n=90). Data were collected using questionnaires and audio-recorded consultations of patients with health care providers before their surgery.ResultsThe results showed that younger patients, higher educated patients, patients with a monitoring coping style, and patients who experienced more cancer-related stress engaged more in OHIS. In turn, OHIS was related to patient participation in terms of the patient's absolute word count but not to the relative contribution to the consultation or expressing questions and assertions. We did not find a relation between OHIS and anxiety and OHIS and recall mediated by patient participation. However, we found that patients' absolute word count significantly mediated the positive association between OHIS and patients' satisfaction with the consultation.ConclusionsResults indicate positive implications of OHIS for patients' care experience and, therefore, the importance of helping patients engage in OHIS. However, the results also suggest that OHIS is only successful in increasing a single aspect of patient participation, which might explain the absence of relations with anxiety and recall. The results suggest that more beneficial effects on patient outcomes may be achieved when health care providers support patients in OHIS.

Project description:BackgroundSeeking online health information (OHI) has become a common practice globally. The information seekers could face health risks if they are not proficient in OHI literacy. The OHI-seeking behaviors and skills of Chinese college students, the largest proportion of college students in the world, are understudied. This study was aimed to describe OHI-seeking behaviors and skills of college students in Guangdong, China.MethodsCollege students in the Guangdong province with OHI-seeking experience were invited via WeChat, QQ, and Sina Weibo using QR code posters and flyers for participation in this online anonymized questionnaire-based study. Data on demographics, OHI literacy, information resources, search approaches, and behaviors were collected. The relationship between perceived OHI literacy and high-risk behaviors was investigated by bivariate logistic regression analysis.ResultsRespondents were 1203 college students with a mean age of 20.6 years, females (60.2%), and undergraduates (97.2%). They sought health information via websites (20.3%), WeChat (2.6%), or both (77.1%). Baidu was the main search engine, and baike.baidu.com (80.3%), Zhihu.com (48.4%), and Zhidao.baidu.com (35.8%) were top three among 20 searched websites for information about self-care (80.7%), general health (79.5%), disease prevention (77.7%), self-medication (61.2%), family treatment (40.9%), drugs (37.7%), western medications (26.6%), hospitals (22.7%), physicians (21.4%), and Traditional Chinese Medicine (15.6%). Despite most respondents (78%) lacked confidence in the evidence quality and satisfaction with the results, only 32.4% further consulted doctors. Many (> 50%) would recommend the retrieved information to others. About 20% experienced hacking/Internet fraud. Cronbach's alpha for the internal consistency of OHI literacy was 0.786. Bivariate logistic regression analysis showed that students who believed they can judge the evidence level of OHI were more likely to self-diagnose (OR = 2.2, 95%CI, 1.6-3.1) and look for drug usage (OR = 3.1, 95%CI, 1.9-5.0).ConclusionsThis study reveals Chinese college students' heavy reliance on OHI to manage their own and others' health without sufficient knowledge/skills to identify misinformation and disinformation. The apparent risky information-seeking behaviors of Chinese college students warrant the provision of regulated, accurate, and actionable health information; assurance of cybersecurity; and health information literacy promotion in colleges by concerned authorities.

Dataset Information

Effect of Online Health Information Seeking on Anxiety in Hospitalized Pregnant Women: Cohort Study.

Publications

Effect of Online Health Information Seeking on Anxiety in Hospitalized Pregnant Women: Cohort Study.

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