Has the internet replaced traditional media and human as a major health information source among Chinese middle- and older-age adults

Purpose: This study examined trends of health information sources among Chinese adults age 40+. Methods: Two pilot studies were conducted in 2002 (n=450) and 2011 (n=530) respectively in Taiwan. Convenience samples of middle- and older-age adults from workplaces and communities were recruited. Both studies measured common sources of health information. Results: Overall, comparing with the 2002 sample, participants in the 2011 sample were younger (mean age of 46.33 vs. 50.26 years), had lower proportion of males (59.1% vs. 69.3%), and less likely to have college education (43.7% vs. 51.3%). Although 60% of the overall participants indicated TV as their most common source of health information, the 2011 sample were less likely to seek health information from newspaper (33.6% vs. 77.6%), healthcare providers (41.8% vs. 51.5%), or friends (20.5% vs. 31.0%), and more likely to use the Internet (34.8% vs. 5.4%). After controlling for demographics (age, gender, & education), the pattern stayed the same, and data showed 2011 participants were 9.7 times more likely to use the Internet as a major health information source. Conclusion: While TV remains a popular source, findings showed significant increasing trend on using Internet and significant decreasing trend on using newspaper as a major source of health information. This is the first study examined and directly compared trend of major health information sources among adults age 40+ years in Taiwan. Results have implication on the important role online health information can play among Chinese middle- and older-age adults.