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Characteristics of Women’s Health Information-Seeking Behavior and Health Information Sources: An Intercultural Comparison

Sun, May 28, 12:30 to 13:45, Hilton San Diego Bayfront, Floor: 4 (Sapphire), Exhibit Hall - Rear

Abstract

Health information seeking has been on the rise globally due to the need to uncover more varieties of health-related information and the rise in access to the Internet. This study aims to compare the reliance on interpersonal and mass media sources of women in their health information seeking behaviour from India, Vietnam, Singapore and the United States (US), countries with contrasting levels of individualism, power distance, and economic stages. A total of 2,070 responses were collected. Our findings revealed that women in the US relied more on medical professionals and less on family and friends for health information as compared to women in Asian countries, potentially due to the higher degree of individualism and lower degree of power distance in the US as compared to Asian countries. Online media was also found as becoming a very important, if not the most important, source of health information across all four countries.

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