Why do Chinese patients avoid health information? The role of caregiver burden perception and self-stigma

The purpose of this study is to investigate the roles of perceived caregiver burden, personal income, and self-stigma in health information avoidance behavior.

A total of 876 eligible Chinese patients were recruited using cross-sectional data collection. Relevant variables were measured with the Caregiver Burden Scale, Self-Stigma Scales, and Health Information Avoidance Scale. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and mediation model testing.

The research findings revealed significant correlations between perceived caregiver burden, self-stigma, and health information avoidance (p < 0.001). Mediation analysis demonstrated that perceived caregiver burden indirectly influenced health information avoidance through self-stigma (β=0.5, accounting for 80.6 %), with self-stigma cognition (β=0.21, p < 0.001) and self-stigma behavior (β=0.44, p < 0.001) significantly contributing to the tendency to avoid health information. The direct effect of income on health information avoidance was not significant (β=-0.06, p = 0.34), and its indirect effect through self-stigma was also not significant.

Heavy caregiver burden and high self-stigma are significant factors influencing health information avoidance, whereas income level has no significant direct effect. Therefore, reducing caregiver burden and self-stigma may be more effective than merely increasing income. It is recommended to enhance social support, improve caregiver environments, and strengthen welfare policies to mitigate health information avoidance.

Reducing caregiver burden and cognitive-behavioral self-stigma through culturally sensitive support may curb health information avoidance among Chinese patients.