Predictors of Internet Health Information–Seeking Behaviors Among Young Adults Living With HIV Across the United States: Longitudinal Observational Study

Background: Consistent with young adults’ penchant for digital communication, young adults living with HIV use digital communication media to seek out health information. Understanding the types of health information sought online and the characteristics of these information-seeking young adults is vital when designing digital health interventions for them. Objective: This study aims to describe characteristics of young adults living with HIV who seek health information through the internet. Results will be relevant to digital health interventions and patient education. Methods: Young adults with HIV (aged 18-34 years) self-reported internet use during an evaluation of digital HIV care interventions across 10 demonstration projects in the United States (N=716). Lasso (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator) models were used to select characteristics that predicted whether participants reported seeking general health and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information on the internet during the past 6 months. Results: Almost a third (211/716, 29.5%) and a fifth (155/716, 21.6%) of participants reported searching for general health and SRH information, respectively; 26.7% (36/135) of transgender young adults with HIV searched for gender-affirming care topics. Areas under the curve (>0.70) indicated success in building models to predict internet health information seeking. Consistent with prior studies, higher education and income predicted health information seeking. Higher self-reported antiretroviral therapy adherence, substance use, and not reporting transgender gender identity also predicted health information seeking. Reporting a sexual orientation other than gay, lesbian, bisexual, or straight predicted SRH information seeking. Conclusions: Young adults living with HIV commonly seek both general health and SRH information online, particularly those exploring their sexual identity. Providers should discuss the most commonly sought SRH topics and the use of digital technology and be open to discussing information found online to better assist young adults with HIV in finding accurate information. Characteristics associated with health information–seeking behavior may also be used to develop and tailor digital health interventions for these young adults

Evaluation of Consumer Health Information Websites Based on International Guidelines

Background and Aim: Since health information websites in the Internet is almost the first and the most used source of information for public. It is therefore necessary to comprehensively evaluate websites which provide health information for the public. Objective: The research aimed to investigate the quality of Farsi health information websites comparing the international pairs provided with recognized quality standards including those from the Medical Library Association of America (MLA). Materials and Methods: Checklists of the British Medical Association (BMA), MLA, Health On the Net Foundation Code (HONcode) principles, and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (W3C) were use as the research tools. The sample of websites included the 10 top health websites in English rated by MLA and nine Iranian health information websites in Persian (Farsi). Results: Iranian websites did not obtain desirable scores against the quality standards of health information websites (BMA, HONcode, W3C, and MLA) in terms of scope, accuracy, and quality, authorship and authority, attribution and justifiability, bias -free observation, good design, code of conduct/standards. An analytical comparison of health information websites based on their ownership showed that the private sector organisation websites were better than the governmental Iranian websites in terms of observing the standards as well as comprehensiveness. Strengths of the Iranian websites included information privacy, transparency, consumer involvement, and ease of understanding. No considerable differences were observed between the private sector organisation and governmental websites on other criteria. Conclusions: Results of this research highlighted the need to determine standards and improve the quality control of public health information websites in Iran, by an organization or institute such as the Iranian Medical Library Association. These findings will create the basis of recommendations for developing a comprehensive, consistent, reliable, up-to-date, and high-quality website, which can account for the needs of health consumers. Provision of such a website will contribute to improvements in understanding of diseases, effective self-care and self-management and appropriate lifestyle advice. In turn, this may help to reduce unnecessary referrals to health centers, hospitalization and unnecessary taking of medicine, leading to better health outcomes for the population

Responses and relationship dynamics of men and their spouses during active surveillance for prostate cancer: health literacy as an inquiry framework

BACKGROUND: Early stage prostate cancer patients may be allocated to active surveillance, where the condition is observed over time with no intervention. Living with a cancer diagnosis may impose stress on both the men and their spouses. In this study we explore whether the scores of and verbal responses to a Health Literacy Questionnaire can be used to identify individuals in need of information and support and to reveal differences in perception and understanding in health related situations within couples. METHODS: We used the nine-domain Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) as a framework to explore health literacy in eight couples where the men were on active surveillance for prostate cancer progression. Scores were calculated for each domain for both individuals. For each couple differences in scores were also calculated and related to the informants\u27 self-reported experiences and reflections in relation to participating in an active surveillance program. Also an inductive analysis was performed to identify themes in the responses and these themes were compared to those of HLQ. RESULTS: The men tended to score higher than their spouses. There was no consistent relation between scores and the reported experiences and reflections. However, some interesting patterns emerged, e.g. in two of the three couples with the largest within couple differences in HLQ scores, responses revealed discrepancies in how the men and their spouses perceived their situation. Also, three themes emerged which related to six of the HLQ domains, i.e. involvement of spouses and other people around the men; support from and interaction with healthcare professionals; and use of the Internet for information retrieval. CONCLUSIONS: Using the HLQ as an interview framework provided insight into the differences within couples and provided new perspectives on their experiences, including their contact with health professionals and the patient-spouse interaction when dealing with prostate cancer. The HLQ used as a dialogue tool may be an adjunct to assist healthcare providers to understand the need for support and information of men with prostate cancer on active surveillance and the dynamics within couples

Barriers, control and identity in health information seeking among African American women

Qualitative research methods were used to examine the role of racial, cultural, and socio-economic group (i.e., communal) identities on perceptions of barriers and control related to traditional and internet resources for seeking health information. Eighteen lower income, African American women participated in training workshops on using the internet for health, followed by two focus groups. Transcripts were analyzed using standardized coding methods. Results demonstrated that participants perceived the internet as a tool for seeking health information, which they believed would empower them within formal healthcare settings. Participants invoked racial, cultural, and socio-economic identities when discussing barriers to seeking health information within healthcare systems and the internet. The findings indicate that the internet may be a valuable tool for accessing health information among lower income African American women if barriers are reduced. Recommendations are made that may assist health providers in improving health information seeking outcomes of African American women

Conceptualizing human resilience in the face of the global epidemiology of cyber attacks

Computer security is a complex global phenomenon where different populations interact, and the infection of one person creates risk for another. Given the dynamics and scope of cyber campaigns, studies of local resilience without reference to global populations are inadequate. In this paper we describe a set of minimal requirements for implementing a global epidemiological infrastructure to understand and respond to large-scale computer security outbreaks. We enumerate the relevant dimensions, the applicable measurement tools, and define a systematic approach to evaluate cyber security resilience. From the experience in conceptualizing and designing a cross-national coordinated phishing resilience evaluation we describe the cultural, logistic, and regulatory challenges to this proposed public health approach to global computer assault resilience. We conclude that mechanisms for systematic evaluations of global attacks and the resilience against those attacks exist. Coordinated global science is needed to address organised global ecrime

Acceptance of Health Information System for Public Health Centre in North Borneo, Indonesia

This study sought the factor associated with own acceptance of HIS for PHC by using the modification of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in the Sebengkok PHC, Central Tarakan Subdistrict, Tarakan City, North Borneo, Indonesia. A cross-sectional approach was conducted through a survey on the 37 of PHC\u27s user. A set of questionnaires which was adopted from the previous research was used to collect the information from the participant. The model was developed by involving job relevance, output quality, result demonstrability, screen design, terminology, facilitating condition, perceived of usefulness, perceived ease of use, intention to use and system use (actual usage) as the construct. According to the hypothesis testing, perceived usefulness predicted by terminology, perceived ease of use is significantly predicted by screen design and terminology, perceived usefulness significantly predicts the intention of use and perceived ease of use, while system use which predicted considerably by the intention of use and facilitating condition. This study may have a contribution to the future improvement of HIS for PHC and guide the next coming research to dig the difference acceptance among the user

Predictors of Cyberchondria during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study using supervised machine learning.

BACKGROUND Cyberchondria is characterized by repeated and compulsive online searches for health information, resulting in increased health anxiety and distress. It has been conceptualized as a multi-dimensional construct fueled by both anxiety and compulsivity-related factors and described as a "transdiagnostic compulsive behavioral syndrome" which is associated with health anxiety, problematic internet use and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Cyberchondria is not included in the ICD-11 or the DSM-5, and its defining features, etiological mechanisms and assessment continue to be debated. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate changes in the severity of cyberchondria during the pandemic and identify predictors of cyberchondria at this time. METHODS Data collection started on May 4, 2020 and ended on June 10, 2020, which corresponds to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. At the time the present study took place, French-speaking countries in Europe (France, Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg) all implemented lockdown or semi-lockdown measures. The survey consisted of a questionnaire collecting demographic information (sex, age, education level and country of residence) and information on socioeconomic circumstances during the first lockdown (e.g., economic situation, housing and employment status), and was followed by several instruments assessing various psychological and health-related constructs. Inclusion criteria for the study were being at least 18 years of age and having a good understanding of French. Self-report data were collected from 725 participants aged 18 to 77 years (mean 33.29, SD 12.88 years), with females constituting the majority (416/725, 57.4%). RESULTS The results show that the COVID-19 pandemic affected various facets of cyberchondria: cyberchondria-related distress and interference with functioning increased (distress z=-3.651, P<.001; compulsion z=-5.697, P<.001), whereas the reassurance facet of cyberchondria decreased (z=-6.680, P<.001). Also, COVID-19-related fears and health anxiety emerged as the strongest predictors of cyberchondria-related distress and interference with functioning during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide evidence about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cyberchondria and identify factors that should be considered in efforts to prevent and manage cyberchondria at times of public health crises. Also, they are consistent with the theoretical model of cyberchondria during the COVID-19 pandemic proposed by Starcevic and his colleagues in 2020. In addition, the findings have implications for the conceptualization and future assessment of cyberchondria