Health information seeking, beliefs about abilities, and health behaviour among Finnish seniors

Submitted by Isto Huvila on Wed, 09/26/2018 - 15:53

Publication Type:

Journal Article

Authors:

Eriksson-Backa, Kristina; Enwald, Heidi; Hirvonen, Noora; Huvila, Isto

Source:

Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, Volume 50, Number 3, p.284-295 (2018)

Abstract:

The paper presents a study that examines older Finnish adults? self-perceived capability to access, evaluate, understand and use health-related information, and their perceived ability to influence their health themselves, and the relationship between these factors and their current health, health behaviour and information seeking. Questionnaires were mailed by post to 1000 Finns aged 65?79 years, and a total of 281 completed questionnaires (28%) were returned. Of these, 273 were included in the study. Cross-tabulation and chi-square tests were used for the analysis. Results showed that both a stronger belief in one?s capability to master health information and to act in a healthy manner were positively linked to better health and health behaviour as well as more active information behaviour. These beliefs can be important factors for influencing certain health behaviours and even behaviour change.

Taxonomy terms:

Archaeology and Archaeological Information in the Digital Society shows how the digitization of archaeological information, tools and workflows, and their interplay with both old and new non-digital practices throughout the archaeological information process, affect the outcomes of archaeological work, and in the end, our general understanding of the human past.

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Taking Health Information Behaviour into Account: implications of a neglected element for success- ful implementation of consumer health technologies on older adults (HIBA) is an Academy of Finland funded research project at Åbo Akademi University.

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Sheds new light on the potential of extra-academic knowledge-making as a contribution in formations of knowledge throughout society, explores extra-academic knowledge as a useful resource in academy, policy development, evidence based practices, and innovation, and focuses on the informational dimensions, stemming from and grounded in an informationscience perspective, which provides the means to address practical information-related issues throughout knowledge-making processes.

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