Empowering older adults: bridging the digital divide in online health information seeking
Abstract The proliferation of digital technology and the widespread adoption of smartphones provide older adults with valuable opportunities to seek health information. However, older adults do not reap the health benefits equally from using these digital technologies. This study draws on social cog...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer Nature
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-04312-7 |
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| _version_ | 1846101364949647360 |
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| author | Zian Fang Yongmei Liu Bo Peng |
| author_facet | Zian Fang Yongmei Liu Bo Peng |
| author_sort | Zian Fang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The proliferation of digital technology and the widespread adoption of smartphones provide older adults with valuable opportunities to seek health information. However, older adults do not reap the health benefits equally from using these digital technologies. This study draws on social cognitive theory to explore how to promote older adults to seek health information online to alleviate digital inequality. This study surveyed 277 older adults and analyzed the data using structural equation modeling. The findings confirm that self-efficacy and health-related outcome expectations are primary predictors of online health information seeking among older adults. Furthermore, this study identifies the sources of self-efficacy and health-related outcome expectations among older adults. Specifically, past experience and emotional state are significant sources of self-efficacy, while past experience, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, and emotional state are crucial for enhancing health-related outcome expectations. Moreover, this study reveals health status negatively moderates the relationship between health-related outcome expectations and health information-seeking intention. These findings have important implications for research and practicality. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c0909c958d1e44108820b801e09e5b97 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2662-9992 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Springer Nature |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-c0909c958d1e44108820b801e09e5b972024-12-29T12:13:41ZengSpringer NatureHumanities & Social Sciences Communications2662-99922024-12-0111111110.1057/s41599-024-04312-7Empowering older adults: bridging the digital divide in online health information seekingZian Fang0Yongmei Liu1Bo Peng2Business School, Central South UniversityBusiness School, Central South UniversityBusiness School, Central South UniversityAbstract The proliferation of digital technology and the widespread adoption of smartphones provide older adults with valuable opportunities to seek health information. However, older adults do not reap the health benefits equally from using these digital technologies. This study draws on social cognitive theory to explore how to promote older adults to seek health information online to alleviate digital inequality. This study surveyed 277 older adults and analyzed the data using structural equation modeling. The findings confirm that self-efficacy and health-related outcome expectations are primary predictors of online health information seeking among older adults. Furthermore, this study identifies the sources of self-efficacy and health-related outcome expectations among older adults. Specifically, past experience and emotional state are significant sources of self-efficacy, while past experience, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, and emotional state are crucial for enhancing health-related outcome expectations. Moreover, this study reveals health status negatively moderates the relationship between health-related outcome expectations and health information-seeking intention. These findings have important implications for research and practicality.https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-04312-7 |
| spellingShingle | Zian Fang Yongmei Liu Bo Peng Empowering older adults: bridging the digital divide in online health information seeking Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| title | Empowering older adults: bridging the digital divide in online health information seeking |
| title_full | Empowering older adults: bridging the digital divide in online health information seeking |
| title_fullStr | Empowering older adults: bridging the digital divide in online health information seeking |
| title_full_unstemmed | Empowering older adults: bridging the digital divide in online health information seeking |
| title_short | Empowering older adults: bridging the digital divide in online health information seeking |
| title_sort | empowering older adults bridging the digital divide in online health information seeking |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-04312-7 |
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