Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Shenzhen Health Development Research and Data Management Center, Shenzhen, China.
Front Public Health. 2024 Sep 16;12:1379094. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1379094. eCollection 2024.
Online health communities have become the main source for people to obtain health information. However, the existence of poor-quality health information, misinformation, and rumors in online health communities increases the challenges in governing information quality. It not only affects users' health decisions but also undermines social stability. It is of great significance to explore the factors that affect users' ability to discern information in online health communities.
This study integrated the Stimulus-Organism-Response Theory, Information Ecology Theory and the Mindsponge Theory to constructed a model of factors influencing users' health information discernment abilities in online health communities. A questionnaire was designed based on the variables in the model, and data was collected. Utilizing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in conjunction with fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), the study analyzed the complex causal relationships among stimulus factors, user perception, and the health information discernment abilities.
The results revealed that the dimensions of information, information environment, information technology, and information people all positively influenced health information discernment abilities. Four distinct configurations were identified as triggers for users' health information discernment abilities. The core conditions included information source, informational support, technological security, technological facilitation, and perceived risk. It was also observed that information quality and emotional support can act as substitutes for one another, as can informational support and emotional support.
This study provides a new perspective to study the influencing factors of health information discernment abilities of online health community users. It can provide experiences and references for online health community information services, information resource construction and the development of users' health information discernment abilities.
在线健康社区已成为人们获取健康信息的主要来源。然而，在线健康社区中存在的低质量健康信息、错误信息和谣言增加了信息质量治理的挑战。这不仅影响用户的健康决策，还破坏社会稳定。探索影响用户辨别在线健康社区中信息能力的因素具有重要意义。
本研究综合了刺激-机体-反应理论、信息生态学理论和思维海绵理论，构建了一个影响在线健康社区用户健康信息辨别能力的因素模型。基于模型中的变量设计了问卷并进行了数据收集。利用结构方程模型（SEM）和模糊集定性比较分析（fsQCA），分析了刺激因素、用户感知与健康信息辨别能力之间的复杂因果关系。
结果表明，信息、信息环境、信息技术和信息人维度均对健康信息辨别能力产生积极影响。确定了四个触发用户健康信息辨别能力的配置。核心条件包括信息源、信息支持、技术安全、技术促进和感知风险。还观察到信息质量和情感支持可以相互替代，信息支持和情感支持也可以相互替代。
本研究为研究在线健康社区用户健康信息辨别能力的影响因素提供了新视角。它可以为在线健康社区信息服务、信息资源建设和用户健康信息辨别能力的发展提供经验和参考。
