What predicts the trust of online health information?

Little attention has been paid to levels of trust in online sources of health information. The objective of this study was to investigate levels of trust in various sources of health information (interpersonal channels, traditional media, and Internet media), and to examine the predictors of trust i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Epidemiology and health 2015-01, Vol.37, p.e2015030-e2015030
Main Authors: Kwon, Jeong Hyun, Kye, Su-Yeon, Park, Eun Young, Oh, Kyung Hee, Park, Keeho
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Health information
Internet
Original
Trust
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Summary:Little attention has been paid to levels of trust in online sources of health information. The objective of this study was to investigate levels of trust in various sources of health information (interpersonal channels, traditional media, and Internet media), and to examine the predictors of trust in health information available on the Internet. A questionnaire was administered to 1,300 people (20 years of age or older), evaluating levels of trust in various sources of health information. The highest level of trust was expressed regarding interpersonal channels, with hospital physicians regarded as the most trusted source of information age and income showed an association with trust in online information sources. Elderly people were not likely to trust Internet news sources, and high incomes were found to be strongly associated with trust in online sources of information overall. Public health organizations must consider the predictors for trust in various sources of information in order to employ appropriate media when targeting vulnerable individuals or developing messaging strategies for health professionals.
ISSN:2092-7193
2092-7193
DOI:10.4178/epih/e2015030