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Reliance on Social Networks and Health Professionals for Health Information in the U.S. Adult Population

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Abstract

The subpopulation of adults depends on non-online health information sources including their social networks and health professionals, to the exclusion of online sources. In view of the digital divide and health information disparities, the roles of race/ethnicity and digital skills are yet to be explored. A nationally representative sample of 6,830 adults from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) was analyzed, using binary logistic regression. Black adults and adults with higher digital skills were less likely to be reliant on non-online health information sources, compared to White adults and those with lower digital skills, respectively. Differences in non-online health information source reliance by race/ethnicity and digital skills might be further nuanced by the relevant demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Increasing digital skills may expand one’s health information sources to include reliable online sources and empower adults to promote their health.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported, in part, by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant #R305A200261 from July 2020 to July 2023. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent the views of the Institute or the U.S. Department of Education.

This study was reviewed and approved by the Institute of Education Sciences Data Security team for the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies U.S. restricted use file data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gerontology Doctoral Program, University of Maryland Baltimore County, PUP 216, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD, 21250, USA

    Donnette Narine & Takashi Yamashita

  2. Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Takashi Yamashita

  3. Department of Sociology and Anthropology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA

    Wonmai Punksungka

  4. Discovery Center, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA

    Abigail Helsinger

  5. RAND Corporation, Washington Office, Washington, D.C., USA

    Jenna W. Kramer

  6. RAND Corporation, Santa Monica Office, Santa Monica, CA, USA

    Rita Karam

  7. Miami University, Scripps Gerontology Center, Oxford, OH, USA

    Phyllis A. Cummins

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  1. Donnette Narine
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Correspondence to Donnette Narine.

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Narine, D., Yamashita, T., Punksungka, W. et al. Reliance on Social Networks and Health Professionals for Health Information in the U.S. Adult Population. J Immigrant Minority Health 26, 287–293 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-023-01556-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-023-01556-4

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