Where to First Find Cancer-Related Information: Examining Factors Affecting Selection of Primary Health Information Sources

• In Event: 239 - Section on Communication and Information Technologies Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 10. Support Systems: Communication and Collaboration

Abstract

Health information is available in a variety of sources. The objective of this study is to examine factors affecting selection of primary health information sources when people seek for cancer-related information. Using a recent, nationwide data of HINT 2013 by the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI), this study identified two major primary sources that people use to seek health information. The results of binary logistic regression show how factors in demographics, situation, and psychological aspects affect the selection of primary sources for health information. There are also moderation effects between demographics and psychological factors. This study contributes to a better understanding about which user-related factors determine their primary source selection for seeking health information.

Authors

• Henna Kim, University of Texas-Austin

• Kye-Hyoung Lee, University of Texas-Austin