Rong Honghui, Lu Lu, He Miao, Guo Tian, Li Xian, Tao Qingliu, Li Yixin, Zheng Chuanfen, Zhang Ling, Li Fengju, Yi Dali, Lei Enyu, Luo Ting, Yang Qinghua, Chen Ji-An
Department of Health Education, School of Military Preventive Medicine, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Gaotanyan Street No 30, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400038, China, 86 02368771579.
Chongqing Health Education Institute, Chongqing, China.
JMIR Form Res. 2025 May 5;9:e56028. doi: 10.2196/56028.
With the rapid development of the internet and its widespread use, online health information-seeking (OHIS) has become a popular and important research topic. Various benefits of OHIS are well recognized. However, OHIS seems to be a mixed blessing. Research on OHIS has been reported in Western countries and in high-income regions in eastern China. Studies on the population in the western region of China, such as Chongqing, are still limited.
The aim of the study was to identify the prevalence, common topics, and common methods of health information-seeking and the factors influencing these behaviors among the Chongqing population.
This cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted from September to October 2021. A web-based questionnaire was sent to users aged 15 years and older in Chongqing using a Chinese web-based survey hosting site (N=14,466). Data on demographics, web-based health information resources, and health topics were collected. Factors that may influence health literacy were assessed using the chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression models.
A total of 67.1% (9704/14,466) of the participants displayed OHIS behaviors. Participants who were younger, had a higher educational level, and worked as medical staff or teachers were more likely to engage in OHIS, while those living in rural areas, ethnic minorities, and farmers were less likely to seek health information on the web (P<.01). Among the Chongqing population, the most common topic searched on the internet was health behavior and literacy (87.4%, 8483/9704), and the most popular method of seeking health information on the web was through WeChat (77.0%, 7468/9704).
OHIS is prevalent in Chongqing. Further research could be performed based on the influencing factors identified herein and high-priority, effective ways of improving the OHIS behaviors of the Chongqing population.
随着互联网的快速发展及其广泛应用，在线健康信息搜索（OHIS）已成为一个热门且重要的研究课题。OHIS的各种益处已得到广泛认可。然而，OHIS似乎是一把双刃剑。西方国家以及中国东部高收入地区已有关于OHIS的研究报道。对中国西部地区如重庆人群的研究仍然有限。
本研究旨在确定重庆人群中健康信息搜索的患病率、常见主题、常见方法以及影响这些行为的因素。
本横断面问卷调查研究于2021年9月至10月进行。通过一个基于中文的网络调查托管网站，向重庆15岁及以上的用户发送了一份网络问卷（N = 14466）。收集了人口统计学、基于网络的健康信息资源和健康主题的数据。使用卡方检验和多因素逻辑回归模型评估可能影响健康素养的因素。
共有67.1%（9704/14466）的参与者表现出OHIS行为。年龄较小、教育水平较高、从事医务人员或教师工作的参与者更有可能参与OHIS，而居住在农村地区、少数民族和农民则不太可能在网上搜索健康信息（P <.01）。在重庆人群中，互联网上搜索最常见的主题是健康行为和素养（87.4%，8483/9704），在网上搜索健康信息最流行的方法是通过微信（77.0%，7468/9704）。
OHIS在重庆很普遍。可以基于本文确定的影响因素以及改善重庆人群OHIS行为的高优先级有效方法进行进一步研究。
