François Beck|Jean-Baptiste Richard|Viêt Nguyen?Thanh|Ilaria Montagni|Isabelle Parizot|Émilie Renahy
Use of the Internet as a Health Information Resource Among French Young Adults: Results From a Nationally Representative Survey
French National Centre for Scientific Research|Institut National de Prévention et d’Education pour la Santé|Université Paris Cité|Center for Research in Medicine, Science, Health, Mental Health and Society|Sorbonne Paris Cité|Inserm|School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences|Institut National de Prévention et d’Education pour la Santé|Institut National de Prévention et d’Education pour la Santé|University of Verona|Inserm|Centre Maurice-Halbwachs|French National Centre for Scientific Research|Inserm|St. Michael's Hospital
background internet one main resources health information especially young adults website content always trustworthy validated little known specific population importance online health searches use impact fundamental assess behaviors attitudes young people looking online healthrelated information level trust information objective objective describe characteristics internet users aged 1530 years use web health information resource trust define context effect use french young adults8217 behavior relation medical consultations methods used french health barometer 2010 nationally representative survey 27653 individuals investigates population health behaviors concerns multivariate logistic regressions performed using subsample 1052 young adults aged 1530 years estimate associations demographics socioeconomic health status 1 use internet search health information 2 impact health behaviors physicianpatient relationship results 2010 485 474977 web users aged 1530 years used internet health purposes use internet health purposes reported informed enough sources 750 377503 stated preferred seeing doctor 741 373503 trust information internet 672 338503 however approximately 80 371474 young online health seekers considered information found online reliable women p60001 people higher sociocultural positions 05 95 ci 0309 04 95 ci 0207 employees manual workers respectively vs individuals executive manager positions likely use internet health purposes subsample women online health seeking likely among child 18 95 ci 1127 experiencing psychological distress 20 95 ci 1040 finally online health seekers aged 1530 years onethird 333 157474 reported changed health behaviors eg frequency medical consultations way taking care one8217s health online searches different factors associated different outcomes change psychological distress poor quality life low income common conclusions internet useful tool spread health information prevention campaigns especially target young adults young adults trust online information consider internet valid source health advice health agencies ensure improvement online health information quality creation healthrelated websites programs dedicated young adults