Racial Disparity and Factors Associated with Internet Health Information-Seeking Among US Adults with Diabetes Mellitus (Preprint)

Abstract

Many patients with chronic medical conditions search the internet to obtain medical advice and health information to improve their health condition and quality of life. Diabetes is a common chronic disease that disproportionately affects different race/ethnic groups in the US. With the existing literature on the popularity of internet health information seeking in persons with a chronic medical condition, there is limited data among US adults with diabetes.

This study aimed to examine factors associated with internet health information seeking in US adults with diabetes and whether there was a disparity in internet information-seeking stratified by race/ethnicity.

We conducted a cross-section study using the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) data from 2017 to 2020. We selected our study sample based on respondents' reports on whether they were told they had diabetes, and our primary outcome was internet health information seeking. We used two multivariable logistic regression models to examine the effects of sociodemographic factors and other covariates on internet health information-seeking in adults with diabetes. Jackknife replicate weights were used to provide bias-corrected variance estimates.

Our study sample includes a total of 2903 adults who self-reported they had diabetes. 60.0% were White (1744/2903), 44.9 % males (1336/2850), and 64% had some college or graduate education level (1812/2831). The prevalence of internet health information seeking in this population was 64.5% and the main factors associated with internet health information seeking include education level (Some college versus less than high school: OR = 1.42, 95% CI = [1.44, 1.88]; College graduate or higher versus less than high school: OR = 2.50, 95% CI = [1.79, 3.50] ), age (age group 65+ versus 18 to 44 years: OR = 0.46, 95% CI = [0.34, 0.63], and house income level (p<.001). Additionally, we found differences in the effects of predictors stratified by race.

This study suggests that internet health information-seeking is common among US adults with diabetes. Internet health information could influence the self-management and quality of life of adults with diabetes in many ways.

Not Applicable.