Issue link: https://blog.providence.org/i/1009460
Hopelab & Well Being Trust 31 Online Health Information Searches The majority of teens and young adults – 87% – say they have gone online for health information. The most commonly researched topics are fitness (63%) and nutrition (52%). A large proportion of young people say they have searched online for information about mental well-being (59%), including stress (44%), anxiety (42%), and depression (39%). Other commonly researched topics include birth control (30%), pregnancy (28%), and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) (26%). Six percent of all respondents shared, in their own words, a topic they had researched online related to mental health that was different from the list provided by the survey. Examples include searches related to bipolar disorder, addiction, and gender dysphoria. An additional 6% of respondents shared the physical health concerns they had researched that were different from the choices listed in the table above. Those included topics such as asthma, scoliosis, chronic pain, lupus, and migraine. The mean number of health topics researched online is five: 12% say they have searched for zero or just one topic, 70% of young people are in the middle (reporting 2 to 8 topics), and 18% might be consid- ered heavily engaged in online health research (reporting 9+ topics). Those who have sought information on nine or more topics are more likely to be female and older. When asked to indicate the reasons they have searched for health information online, three-quarters of online health seekers in this survey say they wanted to get information about a health issue they themselves were dealing with. About half of online health seekers (53%) say they have searched for information on a health issue affecting someone they know. Fifty-five percent say they have looked for information for a school or other outside project. A small group (5%) cited other reasons, with "curiosity" being the most popular written response. (Respondents could provide multiple reasons for their health searches.) Almost all (94%) of those who have sought health information online say they find it at least "somewhat" helpful – a finding that points to the possibility of return customers and new avenues for public health outreach online. Among online health seekers, 29% say the information they found most recently was "very" helpful, and 65% say it was "somewhat" helpful. Table 1: Online health seekers Among 14-22 year-olds, percent who have gone online for information about: Fitness and exercise Diet and nutrition Stress Anxiety Depression Birth control Pregnancy Sleep disorders Sexually transmitted diseases Drug or alcohol abuse Cancer Smoking Eating disorders (such as anorexia or bulimia) Diabetes Heart disease Any other mental health issue Any other physical health issue TOTAL – any health topic 63% 52% 44% 42% 39% 30% 28% 27% 26% 24% 24% 20% 18% 16% 14% 6% 6% 87% Digital Health Practices Digital Health Practices Among Teens and Young Adults Source: Hopelab/Well Being Trust Teens and Young Adults Survey, February-March 2018. N=1,337 young people ages 14-22.