Online Health Information — Seeking Among Older Women with Chronic Illness: Analysis of the Women’s Health Initiative (JMIR Public Health and Surveillance)

​Summary: Understanding how older patients with chronic illnesses use the internet to obtain health information is relevant for the design of digital interventions aimed at improving the health and well-being of adults aged 65 years and older; this cohort represents the sickest, most expensive, and fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population.

The objective of this study was to describe online health information-seeking behavior among older patients with chronic illnesses and to compare the characteristics of patients who report using the internet to obtain health information with those who do not.

The study population included 72,806 women aged 65 years and older enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), a national cohort study, who completed a 2014 supplemental questionnaire assessing everyday technology use and internet use for researching health conditions. Comparisons were made between participants with and without a history of chronic illness and between users and nonusers of online sources for health information. 

Findings: Of the total, 59% of older women used the internet for health information. Compared with women who did not use the internet to obtain health information, those who used the internet were younger, more likely to be non-Hispanic white, earned a higher income, achieved a higher educational level, and were more likely to live with a partner. Women with Alzheimer disease were least likely to report online health information-seeking compared to those without the disease. In contrast, women with a recent diagnosis of cancer were most likely to use the internet for health information. 

This study cites 2011–2012 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) data.

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• Journal Article: Online Health Information — Seeking Among Older Women with Chronic Illness: Analysis of the Women’s Health Initiative