Seeking Health Information Online:The Moderating Effects of Problematic Situations on User Intention

Purpose： This study investigates how online user intention in searching health information is affected by problematic situations.Design/methodology/approach： Based on the Theory of Reasoned Action, the Technology Acceptance Model, and Sense-making theory, we propose two dimensions of problematic situations： urgency and severity of health issues being searched online. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey among 214 Wuhan University students and analyzed using hierarchical regression analysis.Findings： Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and subjective norm can influence user intention to seek health information online. The urgency of problematic situations has a negative moderating effect on the relationship between perceived ease of use and user intention and the relationship between subjective norm and user intention. The severity of problematic situations has a negative moderating effect on the relationship between subjective norm and user intention.Research limitations： The respondents of the survey are limited to students in one Chinese university, so whether this study＇s results can be applied to another population or not remains to be verified. In addition, only two dimensions of problematic situations are considered in this study. Practical implications： The paper puts forward the moderating effect of problematic situations and verifies it, which is the compensation for online health information-seeking behavior research. Besides, our analyses have implications for professional design of health care systems and related consumer information searches, and improve their performance. Originality/value： Previous work has reported the effects of problematic situation on user intention to seek health information online, ignoring its influence on other factors. This empirical study extends that work to identify the influence of problematic situation when seeking intention-behavior data in two dimensions, urgency and severity.

Research on the Model of Consumer Health Information Seeking Behavior via Social Media

Purpose: We aim to create a model of consumer health information seeking behavior via social media, then to have a better understand of it. After that further efforts should be made to provide targeted recommendations for media managers to promote health communication via social media. Methods: Our custom model was derived from literature review, empirical research was tested by the use of questionnaire investigation, and then the collected data were analyzed by structural equation model tool SmartPLS. Finally, the custom model was modified according to the experimental results of SmartPLS. Results: A total of 239 (66.39%) of the respondents were female and 121 (33.61%) were male. The maximum of two stages of age were 18 - 29 (70.56%), 30 - 39 (13.89%). Wechat (60.28%), QQ Zone (55.22%), Micro-blog (48.89%) were the most commonly used social media to obtain health information. About 44.72% of respondents used social media to obtain health information multiple times a day. The whole numerical values of AVE, cronbach’s alpha, CR and square roots of AVE were above the benchmarks of themselves and showed great reliability and validity. All the 11 hypotheses had obvious statistical significance, the P-value of eight path coefficients exhibited <0.001, one path coefficient exhibited <0.01 and two path coefficients exhibited <0.05. Conclusions: A suitable model of consumer health information seeking behavior via social media was created and some inner relationships were found. Namely, gratification of health information and its platform had a positive effect on attitudes toward health information seeking behavior. Health information literacy and health status were proved to have a significant influence on attitudes toward health information seeking behavior, subject norms and perceived behavioral control respectively. In addition, attitudes toward the health information seeking behavior, subject norms and perceived behavioral control were proved to positively associate with health information seeking behavior intention.

Cultural drivers and health-seeking behaviours that impact on the transmission of pig-associated zoonoses in Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Pig rearing is an important income source in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic(PDR),with many smallholder farmers using traditional free-range pig production systems.Despite the potentially significant health risks posed by pig production regarding pig-associated zoonoses,information on the sociocultural drivers of these zoonoses is significantly lacking.This review summarises the existing sociocultural knowledge on eight pig-associated zoonoses suspected to be endemic in Southeast Asia:brucellosis,Q fever(Coxiella burnetii),trichinellosis,hepatitis E virus,leptospirosis,Japanese encephalitis,Streptococcus suis and Taenia solium taeniasis-cysticercosis.It summarises current knowledge on these diseases grouped according to their clinical manifestations in humans to highlight the propensity for underreporting.A literature search was conducted across multiple databases for publications from 1990 to the present day related to the eight pig-associated zoonoses and the risk and impact connected with them,with Lao PDR as a case study.Many of these pig-associated zoonoses have similar presentations and are often diagnosed as clinical syndromes.Misdiagnosis and underreporting are,therefore,substantial and emphasise the need for more robust diagnostics and appropriate surveillance systems.While some reports exist in other countries in the region,information is significantly lacking in Lao PDR with existing information coming mainly from the capital,Vientiane.The disease burden imposed by these zoonoses is not only characterised by morbidity and mortality,but directly impacts on livelihoods through income reduction and production losses,and indirectly through treatment costs and lost work opportunities.Other factors crucial to understanding and controlling these diseases are the influence of ethnicity and culture on food-consumption practices,pig rearing and slaughter practices,hygiene and sanitation,health-seeking behaviours and,therefore,risk factors for disease transmission.Published information on the knowledge,attitudes and beliefs of people regarding pig zoonoses and their risk factors is also extremely limited in Lao PDR and the broader Southeast Asian region.The need for more transdisciplinary research,using a One Health approach,in order to understand the underlining social determinants of health and their impacts on health-seeking behaviours,disease transmission and,ultimately,disease reporting,cannot be more emphasized.

Thai Elderly Population： Lifestyle Enhancement Amongst the Overweight and Hypertensive

Hypertension and obesity are two prevalent conditions that often simultaneously affect the same individual and can increase one＇s chances of cardiovascular morbidity. In Thailand, older people often seek medical attention at times when they are extremely ill. Healthy lifestyle behaviors are essential in order for one to maintain their health. Certain regimens can be initiated to manage and control health problems. However, very few know about how the elderly maintain their subjective physical well-being, while living with obesity and hypertension. This qualitative study focuses on describing health care practices and behaviors of overweight and hypertensive older people in everyday Thai society. Ten elderly people have participated in this study through purposive sampling. Qualitative data was gathered via in-depth interviews and was analyzed by using a content analysis method. The findings illustrate that health care seeking behaviors emerged from an understanding to seek health care; acting behaviors based on knowledge, and seeking health care support. Most overweight and hypertensive elderly people in Thai cultures have the desire to maintain their everyday lives by continuing their routines or traditions that were in place before seeking professional attention. This knowledge is useful in developing health care practices with wider implications such as holistic care to elderly people for alleviating their suffering by promoting healthy lifestyles and maintaining healthy blood pressure.