Correlates of online health information-seeking behaviors in a low-income Hispanic community

ABSTRACT Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the correlates of online health information-seeking behaviors among Hispanic residents of a low-income urban neighborhood. Methods: Data were collected with a community survey from 1045 unique participants at ambulatory care clinics in a largely Hispanic immigrant community in northern Manhattan, New York. A descriptive correlational analysis was conducted using logistic regression. Results: A majority of the participants were born outside the United States (85.7%), and half (50.3%) had completed high school. A logistic regression revealed that five independent variables were significantly correlated with online health information-seeking behaviors: age, education, marital status, primary language, and health literacy. Age and Spanish as preferred language were negatively associated with online health information-seeking (OR = 0.93 and 0.50), whereas education and health literacy were positively associated with online health information-seeking (OR = 4.28 and 1.28). Conclusions: The findings have implications for designing online health information resources and interventions appropriate for the populations they are likely to reach. Furthermore, the findings highlight the need for special efforts to ensure access to reliable health information for immigrant populations and those with low health literacy.