Investigating the Relationship between Personal Characteristics and Health Information Seeking Behavior of the Elderly in Disease Control

The elderly are at risk of disease and disability. Understanding health information seeking behavior and related factors, including individual factors, is very important in order to provide health care to the elderly. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between individual factors and the health information seeking behavior of the elderly in comprehensive health service centers in Isfahan city..

This descriptive-correlational study was performed on 580 elderly individuals covered by comprehensive health service centers in Isfahan, who were selected by one-stage cluster sampling and quota random sampling in the academic year 2017. A researcher-made questionnaire was employed to collect data for the variable behavior of elderly health information in disease control. The content and face validity of the questionnaire were confirmed by librarians and medical information and geriatrics specialists. The reliability of the questionnaire was calculated 0.87 using Cronbach's alpha. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

The results revealed that there was a significant difference between men and women in the component of barriers to accessing health information. There was a direct relationship between age and some components of information seeking behavior. Besides, there was a significant relationship between marital status and type of job with some components of information seeking behavior.

Due to the desire of the elderly to obtain health information, it seems necessary to transfer information related to the elderly through portals and taking into account different personal characteristics and contexts affecting the information search process to play an effective role. Various personal characteristics such as gender, age, marital status, occupation, and access to information affect the health information seeking behavior of the elderly.

The results showed that there was a significant difference between men and women in the component of barriers to accessing health information. There was a direct relationship between age and some components of information seeking behavior. Also, a significant relationship was observed between marital status and type of job with some components of information seeking behavior.

Due to the desire of the elderly to obtain health information, it is necessary to transfer information related to the elderly through the portals used by them and taking into account different personal characteristics and contexts affecting the information search process in order to play an effective role. In increasing their awareness of disease control. Various personal characteristics such as gender, age, marital status, occupation in access to information and also affect the health information seeking behavior of the elderly.