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Connecting internet use with gaps in cancer knowledge.
1University of Georgia [corrected] USA. mshim@asc.upenn.edu
Health Communication
|October 14, 2008
Summary
Higher education and White Americans use the internet for cancer information more, widening knowledge gaps. Perceived cancer risk may help reduce these disparities.
Area of Science:
- Health Communication
- Health Disparities
- Digital Health
Background:
- The knowledge gap hypothesis suggests information access and use can widen disparities.
- Internet use for health information is prevalent but may not be equitable.
- Understanding factors influencing online cancer information seeking is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine how education and ethnicity influence online cancer information seeking.
- To investigate the impact of online information seeking on cancer knowledge gaps.
- To explore the roles of perceived cancer risk and internet accessibility in these knowledge gaps.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a subsample from the 2003 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS).
- Focus on participants with prior internet access.
- Statistical examination of relationships between demographics, online behavior, and cancer knowledge.
Main Results:
- Higher education and White participants were more likely to seek cancer information online.
- Online information seeking exacerbated knowledge gaps between educational groups.
- Perceived cancer risk showed a significant interaction effect, suggesting a motivational role in narrowing knowledge gaps.
Conclusions:
- Online cancer information seeking can widen existing knowledge gaps, particularly by education level.
- Perceived cancer risk may play a role in mitigating these disparities.
- Further research is needed to address equitable access and utilization of online health information.
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