Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Society, Human Development and Health, 401 Park Drive, Room 403F, Boston, MA 02215, United States.
Soc Sci Med. 2011 Jul;73(1):22-32. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.04.024. Epub 2011 May 23.
People of lower-socioeconomic position (SEP) and most racial/ethnic minorities face significant communication challenges which may negatively impact their health. Previous research has shown that these groups rely heavily on interpersonal sources to share and receive health information; however, little is known about these lay sources. The purpose of this paper is to apply the concept of a market maven to the public health sector with the aims of identifying determinants of high health information mavenism among low-SEP and racial/ethnic minority groups and to assess the information they may be sharing based on their own health beliefs. Data for this study were drawn from the baseline survey (n = 325) of a US randomized control intervention study aimed at eliciting an understanding of Internet-related challenges among lower-SEP and minority individuals. Regression models were estimated to distinguish significant determinants of health information mavenism among the sample. Similarly, bivariate and logistic multivariable models were estimated to determine the association between health information mavenism and accurate health beliefs relating to diet, physical activity and smoking. The data illustrate that having a larger social network, being female and being older were important factors associated with higher mavenism scores. Additionally being a moderate consumer of general media as well as fewer years in the US and lower language acculturation were significant predictors of higher mavenism scores. Mavens were more likely than non-mavens to maintain accurate beliefs regarding diet; however, there was no distinction between physical activity and smoking beliefs between mavens and non-mavens. These results offer a unique understanding of health information mavenism which could better leverage word-of-mouth health communication efforts among lower-SEP and minority groups in order to reduce communication inequalities. Moreover, the data indicate that health information mavens may serve as an ideal point of intervention in attempts to modify health beliefs with the goal of reducing health disparities among these populations.
社会经济地位较低的人群（SEP）和大多数少数族裔面临着重大的沟通挑战，这可能会对他们的健康产生负面影响。先前的研究表明，这些群体严重依赖人际来源来分享和接收健康信息；然而，对于这些非专业的健康信息来源却知之甚少。本文旨在将市场行家的概念应用于公共卫生领域，目的是确定低社会经济地位和少数族裔群体中高健康信息行家的决定因素，并根据他们自己的健康信念评估他们可能分享的信息。本研究的数据来自一项美国随机对照干预研究的基线调查（n=325），旨在了解低社会经济地位和少数群体个人在互联网方面的挑战。回归模型用于区分样本中健康信息行家的显著决定因素。同样，也使用了双变量和逻辑多变量模型来确定健康信息行家与与饮食、体育活动和吸烟相关的准确健康信念之间的关联。数据表明，拥有更大的社交网络、女性和年龄较大是与更高行家得分相关的重要因素。此外，作为一般媒体的中度消费者以及在美国的时间较短和较低的语言文化适应程度也是更高行家得分的重要预测因素。行家比非行家更有可能保持关于饮食的准确信念；然而，行家和非行家之间在体育活动和吸烟信念方面没有区别。这些结果提供了对健康信息行家的独特理解，这可以更好地利用低社会经济地位和少数族裔群体中的口碑健康传播工作，以减少沟通不平等。此外，数据表明，健康信息行家可能是试图改变健康信念以减少这些人群中健康差距的理想干预点。
