Health Information–seeking Behaviors and Preferences of a Diverse, Multilingual Urban Cohort
Open accessAbstract
Introduction: In order to address health disparities, it is important to understand how vulnerable individuals seek information. This study used an adapted version of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) administered in English, Spanish, and Chinese to describe the behaviors and preferences of a diverse group of vulnerable urban residents. Methods: We administered a modified HINTS survey in English, Spanish, and Chinese and used purposive sampling to ensure 50% were non-English speakers evenly divided between Spanish and Chinese speakers, and 50% of English-speakers identified as Black. We used multivariable logistic regression to determine characteristics associated with sources used for health information and preferences for delivery of health information. Results: Among 1027survey respondents (514 English, 256 Spanish, 260 Chinese), 55% had adequate health literacy, and 50% reported household income <$20,000, but 77% reported owning a smartphone. A plurality sought health information on the Internet (39%) or from a health care provider (36%). In multivariable analyses, smartphone ownership predicted higher odds of seeking health information on the Internet [odds ratio, (OR) 2.98; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.81–4.91]. Participants most preferred email (41%) and brochures (40%) for delivery of health information, but non-English survey respondents were less likely to prefer email: Spanish (OR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.11–0.83) and Chinese (OR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.09–0.71). Smartphone ownership predicted an email preference (OR, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.43–3.36). Conclusions: Among vulnerable populations, smartphone ownership and language preferences impact preferences for seeking and receiving health information. These preferences need to be considered in designing health messages.
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In the included studies, digital health interventions improved timeliness of and accessibility to health care and information.
“This included improved user experience, timeliness of and accessibility to health care and information, consistent with studies in other settings20,85,86.”
From Digital health interventions for non-communicable disease management in primary health care in low-and middle-income countries (2023) · cites this paper as [86]
In the included studies, digital health interventions improved user experience.
“This included improved user experience, timeliness of and accessibility to health care and information, consistent with studies in other settings20,85,86.”
From Digital health interventions for non-communicable disease management in primary health care in low-and middle-income countries (2023) · cites this paper as [86]
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- Authors
- Khoong, E. C., Le, G. M., Hoskote, M., Rivadeneira, N. A., Hiatt, R. A., & Sarkar, U.
- Affiliations
- University of California, San Francisco (US)
- San Francisco General Hospital (US)
- Corresponding author
- Khoong, Elaine C.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Medical Care
- Published
- 2019-06
- Volume
- 57
- Issue
- Suppl 2
- Pages
- S176-S183
- ISSN
- 0025-7079 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC6527313
- OpenAlex
- W2946164321
- Cited by
- 39
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 2
- FWCI
- 7.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Medical Care (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- University of California, San Francisco
- National Cancer Institute (P30CA082103)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Literacy and Information Accessibility
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Cultural Competency in Health Care
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Information Retrieval and Search Behavior
- Keywords
- health information seeking, health information preferences, multilingual populations, Spanish speakers, Chinese speakers, African Americans, smartphone ownership, language preference, health literacy, health disparities, vulnerable populations, email communication, brochures, health communication design, urban residents
- MeSH terms
- Limited English Proficiency, Adult, Age Factors, Ethnicity, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Translating, Urban Population, Cohort Studies, Multilingualism, Internet, Electronic Mail, Health Literacy, Information Seeking Behavior
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