Development and validation of a measure on seeking health information in the diabetes online community: using a mixed methods approach (Preprint)

Abstract

Individuals with chronic disease search for health information online. The Diabetes Online Community (DOC) is an active community with members who exchange health information, yet very few studies have examined health information brokering in the DOC. The objective of this study was to develop and validate the Attitudes Toward Seeking Health Information (ATSOHI) scale in a sample of adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D). One hundred sixty-six people with T1D participated in this study. Confirmatory factor analyses determined a two-factor scale (Trusting and Evaluating Online Health Information in the DOC and Engaging with Online Health Information in the DOC) with good convergent validity and discriminant validity. Correlations were found between social support, online health information seeking, diabetes distress, and disease management. The ATSOHI scale can be used to investigate how people with diabetes are using the internet for health information and is especially relevant in the age of telehealth and health 2.0.