Using the Internet to Support Exercise and Diet: A Stratified Norwegian Survey.

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Health Behavior Research
• Sociology of Health

Background:

• The internet is widely used for health-related purposes, with usage patterns varying by socioeconomic status.
• Differential effects on health outcomes are observed based on socioeconomic factors and internet utilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the extent of internet use for exercise and diet support in Norway.
• To identify the types of online services utilized for health behaviors.
• To examine social disparities, particularly educational attainment, in internet-based health support usage.

Main Methods:

• A 2013 survey of 1028 Norwegians (aged 15+) from a web panel.
• Data collection via questionnaires on internet/mobile app use for exercise/diet, social network site (SNS) engagement, and background information.
• Weighted analyses to account for sample under-representation in age and education.

Main Results:

• Higher internet usage for exercise/diet information was reported by women (69%) and those with higher education (71%).
• Women more frequently used internet interventions (20%), posted on social media (23%), and kept online journals (21%).
• Online consultations with professionals were more common among those with primary education (13%).

Conclusions:

• Gender and education significantly influence how individuals use the internet for health behaviors.
• The internet may exacerbate existing social disparities in health, necessitating ongoing monitoring.
• Findings offer insights for tailoring internet- and mobile-based health interventions to specific user groups.