Health information on the Internet and people living with HIV/AIDS: information evaluation and coping styles. Health Psychol 2006 Mar;25(2):205-10
Date
03/30/2006Pubmed ID
16569112DOI
10.1037/0278-6133.25.2.205Scopus ID
2-s2.0-33645797859 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 58 CitationsAbstract
Individuals who seek information on the Internet to cope with chronic illness may be vulnerable to misinformation and unfounded claims. This study examined the association between health-related coping and the evaluation of health information. Men (n = 347) and women (n = 72) who were living with HIV/AIDS and reported currently using the Internet completed measures assessing their Internet use. Health Web sites downloaded from the Internet were also rated for quality of information. HIV-positive adults commonly used the Internet to find health information (66%) and to learn about clinical trials (25%); they also talked to their physicians about information found online (24%). In a multivariate analysis, assigning higher credibility to unfounded Internet information was predicted by lower incomes, less education, and avoidant coping styles. People who cope by avoiding health information may be vulnerable to misinformation and unfounded claims that are commonly encountered on the Internet.
Author List
Kalichman SC, Cherry C, Cain D, Weinhardt LS, Benotsch E, Pope H, Kalichman MAuthor
Lance S. Weinhardt MS,PhD Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Community and Behavioral Health Promotion in the Joseph. J. Zilber School of Public Health department at University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Adaptation, PsychologicalAdult
Data Collection
Female
Georgia
HIV Infections
Humans
Information Storage and Retrieval
Internet
Male
Medical Informatics
Middle Aged
