Prediction of health information-seeking behavior components based on health anxiety among users of public libraries

Nasrin Musarezaie; Rahele Samouei; Leila Shahrzadi; Hasan Ashrafi-Rizi

doi:10.4103/jehp.jehp_262_19

Prediction of health information-seeking behavior components based on health anxiety among users of public libraries

J Educ Health Promot. 2019 Nov 29:8:227. doi: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_262_19. eCollection 2019.

Authors

Nasrin Musarezaie¹, Rahele Samouei², Leila Shahrzadi³, Hasan Ashrafi-Rizi³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Library and Information Sciences, Health Information Technology Research Center, School of Management and Medical Information Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
² Social Determinants of Health of Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
³ Health Information Technology Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to predict health information-seeking behavior (HISB) components based on health anxiety among users of public libraries.

Materials and methods: This research was a descriptive-correlational study. The statistical population consisted of users of public libraries. Data collection tools included the HISB questionnaire and the Short Form of Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI).

Results: The results indicated that health anxiety was a significant predictor of the components of HISB. The illness likelihood had a direct relationship with the components of the need for health information and the purposefulness of health information seeking, and it was inversely related to barriers to obtaining health information. In addition, the preoccupation with illness was directly related to the components of the need for health information, the diversity of health information sources, the time of referring to health information sources, the purposefulness of health information seeking, and evaluation of reasons for referring to the library.

Conclusion: Among the components of health anxiety, preoccupation to the disease has the highest role in the emergence of users' information-seeking behavior.

Keywords: Health anxiety; Isfahan; health information-seeking behavior; public libraries; users.