2011-01-31-皮尤-Health_Topics_33页_254kb

Summary of Findings

• 80% of internet users in the U.S. look for health information online, with women, non-Hispanic whites, younger adults, college graduates, and higher-income individuals more likely to do so.
• Among internet users, the following topics are the most popular:
  1. Specific disease or medical problem (66%)
  2. Certain medical treatment or procedure (56%)
  3. Doctors or other health professionals (44%)
  4. Hospitals or other medical facilities (36%)
  5. Health insurance (33%)
  6. Food safety or recalls (29%)
  7. Drug safety or recalls (24%)
  8. Environmental health hazards (22%)
  9. Pregnancy and childbirth (19%)
  10. Memory loss, dementia, or Alzheimer’s (17%)
• Demographic patterns show significant disparities. Groups such as African Americans, Latinos, adults over 65, those with lower education, and low-income individuals are less likely to engage in online health searches.
• The report highlights caregivers (those who provide unpaid care to others) as statistically distinct users of online health information, researching all topics more frequently than other groups.
• Mobile internet users are increasingly engaging in health searches, and there are notable differences between wireless and desktop users in terms of searched topics.
• Overall, internet access and education level are strong predictors of online health information seeking. Higher education correlates with greater likelihood among all demographic groups.