HEALTH INFORMATION–SEEKING BEHAVIOR IN OLDER ADULTS: PSYCHOLOGICAL AND DIGITAL DETERMINANTS IN SOUTH HOWRAH, INDIA

Abstract

This paper discusses health information seeking behavior (HISB) among elderly people living in South Howrah in India in terms of psychological, social and digital components of online health behavior. The aims were to visualize the correlation between health anxiety and cognitive bias, determine the role of digital literacy as a mediator of query behavior, investigate the resilience and self-efficacy as determinants of source trust, and find culturally appropriate implications. The study involved a survey of 100 participants mixed with interviews of 12 informants using a mixed-method design. The quantitative analysis consisted of correlation of Spearman, chi-square, and Bayesian structural equation methods, and qualitative responses were analyzed thematically. Findings showed that health anxiety eroded information source trust and augmented information verification. Digital literacy increased query frequency though increased anxiety in low emotional regulation. The anxiety-cognitive bias cycle was moderated by resilience and repetitive patterns were caused by social isolation. Medical practitioners were more reliable than social media in informing the informants about health. There are requirements of integrative models that facilitate sound digital health engagement.