8.3.1 Health information seeking behaviours of older adults (425)

Ruth Ludwick, Professor and Director of International Initiatives, College of Nursing, Kent State University, Kent, United States Co authors: Mary Stansbury, Diana Baycich, Rich Zeller, Jan Winchell & Jacsun Kellogg rludwick@kent.edu

Abstract:

Background:

In the U.S., there are millions of people who simply do not seek or use health information. Older adults are among those who often are not health literate and are not likely to seek or appropriately use health information (Benson & Forman,2002).

Aims:

Determine how:

Literacy and access related variables
Demographic characteristics impact older adults’ choices about seeking and using health information.

Methods:

This factorial survey based study surveyed 480 older adults that were solicited from randomly selected fast food sites and libraries in 8 counties in one Midwestern state. The factorial survey is a research design in which the effect of independent variables is measured by combining the classic factorial design experiment with the sample survey. The strength of this hybrid technique is that it combines the strength of random assignment inherent in the classical experimental design with the ease of sampling and survey research methods (Ludwick & Zeller, 2001).

Results:

Statistical analysis was carried out using multiple regression and analysis of variance (ANOVA). These analyses demonstrated effect sizes and statistical significances of the independent variables on the dependent variables of seeking and using health information. The results showed literacy and access were significant and consistent predictors on the elders choices. Subjects’ characteristics (e.g. age, gender) had less predictive power on the dependent variables.

Discussion:

Understanding how older adults make choices about seeking and using health information could pay dividends in the long run. The National Academy on an Aging Society (1999) estimates that low literacy skills are responsible for increasing annual health expenditures by $73 billion.

Conclusions:

These findings will help program and policy development directed at improving older adults’ health information seeking skills and in decreasing health disparities in this population group.

Biography:

Dr. Ruth Ludwick is a Professor at Kent State University, College of Nursing (CON) in Kent, Ohio, USA. She is Director of International Initiatives at the College and is active in research with colleagues in N. Ireland and Scotland related to the factorial survey method. Ruth holds visiting appointments at the University of Ulster and at the University of Dundee. She is an active member of Sigma Theta Tau (STT), Delta Xi Chapter at Kent State University; the American Nurses Association, Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS); and Phi Beta Delta, International Honorary. She is an Associate Editor and a member of the founding editorial board of the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (OJIN). Ruth serves as a reviewer for several nursing journals and is on the Editorial Board for the International Journal of Older People Nursing.