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Structural Inequalities in Online Health Information Seeking: Cross-National Multilevel Study
1Institute of Sociology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Jilská 1, Prague, 11000, Czech Republic, 420 210 310 238.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
|May 21, 2026
Summary
Online health information-seeking behavior (OHISB) varies significantly across countries. Higher socioeconomic and health development are linked to increased digital health engagement, emphasizing the need to address both individual and structural factors in digital health inequalities.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Public Health
- Digital Health
Background:
- Online health information-seeking behavior (OHISB) is a common self-management tool.
- Disparities exist in who accesses online health information and benefits from digital resources.
- Limited cross-national research exists on structural influences on OHISB.
Purpose of the Study:
- Assess between-country variation in OHISB.
- Examine individual characteristics associated with OHISB.
- Investigate the association between country-level structural conditions and OHISB.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP 2021-2024; n=35,592; 32 countries).
- Measured OHISB as internet use for health information in the past 12 months.
- Employed multilevel logistic regression and principal component analysis for country-level indicators.
Main Results:
- OHISB showed substantial cross-national variation (ICC=0.177).
- Individual factors like younger age, higher education, and perceived internet usefulness were associated with higher OHISB.
- Higher socioeconomic and health development strongly predicted increased OHISB, explaining significant between-country differences.
Conclusions:
- OHISB is influenced by individual traits and macro-level structural factors.
- Socioeconomic and health development are crucial contextual determinants of cross-national digital health engagement.
- Addressing both individual and structural aspects is vital for mitigating digital health inequalities.
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