An Investigation of the Factors Influencing Individual''s Health Information Seeking Behavior via Mobile Devices

• Main Authors: Pu-Yuan Tzeng, 曾溥元
• Other Authors: Kuang-Ming Kuo
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/uqqp84

碩士 === 義守大學 === 醫務管理學系 === 102 === Background and Purpose: With the rapid development of information technology coupled with the rapid growth of Internet, Internet has become an important medium for the exchange of electronic data. With the characteristics of rapid message transmission via Internet, the need of health information is expadning. Individuals who search for such information also increase year by year. According to survey done by Research, Development, and Evalutation Comission, Executive Yuan in 2013 showed that 86.6% of individuals used the Internet to search for general information, 50.8% of individuals used the Internet to locate health information. As mobile devices is gaining popularity, the rate of smartphones usage is 69.5%. Mobile devices will eventually become important channels to exchange health information. Consequently, it is required to understand the factors that influence individuals’ behavioral intentions to use mobile devices. Materials and Methods: This study uses Health Belief Model, proposed by Rosenstock (1974), as the theoretical underpinning. The study proceeded with survey methodology and questionnaires were utilized to collect data by convenience sampling. Subjects were adults, 20 year-old and living in the southern part of Taiwan (including Kaohsiung City, Tainan City, and Pingtung County). Results and Conclusions: This study totally collected 350 questionnaires. Excluding 48 incomplete questionnaires results in 302 valid questionnaires for subsequent analysis. Structual euqation modeling was used to analyze the collected data. The results showed that perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, self-efficacy, and trust significantly influence individuals’ behavioral intentions to use mobile devices for searching health information. Individuals hold that the use of mobile devices to search for health information is beneficial for preventive health care. Further, the Government should be more proactive in integrating health information, improving information accuracy ad security. Individuals are thus can easily and quickly obtain required health information via mobile devices.