The Effect of Perceived Risk and Benefit on the Search and Sharing of Health Information by Social Network Users (Case Study: Students of the University of Tehran)

Zomorodpoush, Tannaz; Fahimnia, Fatemeh; Noruzi, Alireza

doi:10.22034/jipm.2024.2036084.1693

The Effect of Perceived Risk and Benefit on the Search and Sharing of Health Information by Social Network Users (Case Study: Students of the University of Tehran)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Tannaz Zomorodpoush ¹

Fatemeh Fahimnia ²

Alireza Noruzi ³

¹ Master in Information Management, Faculty of Public Administration and Organizational Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

² Associate Professor, Department of Information Sciences and Knowledge Management, Faculty of Public Administration and Organizational Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

³ Associate Professor, Department of Information Science and Knowledge Management, Faculty of Public Administration and Organizational Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

10.22034/jipm.2024.2036084.1693

Abstract

In recent years, social networks have revolutionized the way individuals seek and share health information. Despite their numerous advantages, the adoption and participation of users in health-related discussions on social networks still face various challenges. Individuals often expect to gain benefits from using technology. However, the use of technology may not always be advantageous and often involves certain risks. Before seeking or sharing health information on social networks, healthcare consumers must evaluate whether the potential benefits outweigh the risks. Perceived benefits refer to the overall positive value of health information on social networks and include perceived usefulness, credibility, emotional support, and informational support. Conversely, perceived risk is the subjective expectation of a possible loss in the value of health information on social media, encompassing mental intangibility, privacy concerns, time commitment, and social and psychological risks. This study focuses on the role of perceived benefits and risks, along with their dimensions, in influencing users’ intentions to seek and share health information through social networks. The research employed a correlation-based applied survey method. The statistical population for this study included all students at the University of Tehran, with a determined sample size of 382. A total of 364 questionnaires were returned and analyzed using SPSS and LISREL. The results of the Structural Equation Modeling analysis indicated that nine hypotheses were confirmed while four were rejected. Overall, the findings revealed that perceived usefulness, credibility, and emotional support related positively to perceived benefits. However, no relationship was found between informational support and perceived benefits. Additionally, privacy concerns, time commitment, and psychological risk were positively associated with perceived risk. Conversely, no relationship were observed between mental intangibility or social risk and perceived risk. Furthermore, perceived benefits were positively related to the intention to seek and share health information, while perceived risk was negatively related only to the intention to seek health information

Keywords

Health Information

Seeking Health Information

Sharing Health Information

Social Networks

Perceived Risk

Perceived Benefit

Net Valence Model

Subjects

Information Behavior

ابراهیمی، علی‌رضا. 1392. بررسی عوامل مؤثر بر خرید اینترنتی: تبیین متغیرهای اعتماد، ریسک ادراک‌شده، منفعت ادراک‌شده و پیشایندهای آن‌ها. پایان‌نامه کارشناسی ارشد. گروه مدیریت. دانشکده علوم اداری و اقتصاد. دانشگاه ولیعصر (عج) رفسنجان.

اطرج، زهرا، فیروزه زارع فراشبندی، فاطمه رستگاری. 1401. رابطه‌ تیپ‌های شخصیتی دانشجویان تحصیلات تکمیلی دانشگاه علوم پزشکی اصفهان با رفتار اطلاع‌یابی سلامت آنان بر اساس مدل میلر. پیاورد سلامت. ۱۶ (۲): ۱۲۳-۱۳۱.

ترکمن، مریم و مهدیه میرزابیگی. 1403. نقش نیاز به خاتمه در جست‌وجوی اطلاعات سلامت بیماران مبتلا به سرطان. مدیریت اطلاعات سلامت. 21 (2): ؟.

خداشناس، زبیده. 1394. بررسی رابطه سواد سلامت و رفتار اطلاع‌جویی سلامت در کاربران کتابخانه‌های دانشکده‌ای دانشگاه تهران: تأثیر شبکه‌های اجتماعی. پایان‌نامه کارشناسی ارشد. گروه علم اطلاعات و دانش‌شناسی. دانشکده مدیریت. دانشگاه تهران.

خدمتگذار، حمیدرضا، پیام حنفی‌زاده و راضیه کیانپور. 1389. نقش ابعاد ریسک ادراک‌شده مشتریان بانک‌ها در پذیرش بانکداری اینترنتی در ایران. فصلنامه علوم مدیریت ایران 5 (20): 49-68.

زارع فراشبندی، فیروزه، آناسیک لاله‌زاریان، علیرضا رحیمی و اکبر حسن‌زاده. 1394. دریافت فعالانه و غیرفعالانه اطلاعات سلامت توسط بیماران دیابتی شهر اصفهان. پایش. 64 (6): 729-740.

زینالی، وحیده، نصرت ریاحی‌نیا، ودود جوادی پروانه، و سعید اسدی. 1396. بررسی تأثیر تجویز اطلاعات سلامت بر توان خودمراقبتی مراقبان بیمار. تعامل انسان و اطلاعات ۴ (۱): 16-27.

سبزواری، سکینه، علیرضا نیکبخت نصر‌آبادی و طیبه نگاهبان بنابی. ۱۳۹۳. منابع جست‌‌وجوی اطلاعات سلامت زنان: یک مطالعه کیفی. مجله تحقیقات کیفی در علوم سلامت ۳ (۴): ۳۴۹-۳۶۲.

صباغی‌نژاد، زیور، رضا پورسواری و امین کرایی. 1401. هنجاریابی مدل پذیرش فناوری دیویس در جست‌وجوی آنلاین اطلاعات سلامت در دانشجویان. تعامل انسان و اطلاعات ۹ (۴): 26-36.

قیصری، فرزانه. 1393. رابطه مؤلفه‌های نگرش، رضایت و ریسک ادراک‌شده بر وفاداری به شبکه‌های اجتماعی (مورد مطالعه: لینکدین). پایان‌نامه کارشناسی ارشد. مدیریت بازرگانی. دانشکده مدیریت و حسابداری. دانشگاه علامه طباطبایی.

کریمی ریز، عباس، محمد نادری دهکردی و ناصر نعمت‌بخش. 1401. نشر اطلاعات سلامت بدون تحریف با حفظ توازن میان حریم خصوصی و سودمندی مطلوب. روش‌های هوشمند در صنعت برق 50: 49-69.

کنجکاو منفرد، امیررضا، سعید فتحی و بهرام رنجبریان. 1394. تبیین مدل ریسک ادراک‌شده مشتریان خدمات سرمایه‌گذاری. کاوش‌های مدیریت بازرگانی 7 (14): 127-147.

گندم‌کار، هانیه، شهنام عرشی و جمشید سلام‌زاده. 1400. بررسی ریسک ادراک‌شده در خصوص مصرف داروها و عوامل مرتبط با آن در زنان باردار. پایان‌نامه کارشناسی ارشد. دانشگاه علوم پزشکی شهید بهشتی، دانشکده داروسازی.

لاله‌‏زارایان، آناسیک، فیروزه زارع فراشبندی، علیرضا رحیمی و اکبر حسن‏زاده. 1393. بررسی تأثیر عوامل فردی بر رفتار اطلاع‏یابی سلامت بیماران دیابتی. مدیریت اطلاعات سلامت 17 (58): 97-108.

موسی‌رضائی، نسرین، حسن اشرفی ریزی و لیلا شهرزادی. 1398. بررسی رفتار اطلاع‌یابی سلامت کاربران کتابخانه‌های عمومی شهر اصفهان. مدیریت اطلاعات سلامت 16 (4): 184-189.

نصراله‌زاده، شهرزاد. 1394. رفتار اطلاع‌یابی سلامت زنان باردار: یک مطالعه گراندد تئوری. تعامل انسان و اطلاعات 1 (4): 270-281.

References

Adams, Samantha A. 2010. Revisiting the online health information reliability debate in the wake of “Web 2.0”: An inter-disciplinary literature and website review. International Journal of Medical Informatics 79: 391–400.

Adeyoyin, S.O. & F.O. Oyewusi. 2015. A Survey of the Needs and Utilization of Health Information among Young Adults in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286526230_A_Survey_of_the_Needs_and_Utilization_of_Health_Information_among_Young_Adults_in_Abeokuta_Ogun_State_Nigeria (accessed ?)

Afifi, W. A. & Judith L. Weiner. 2006. Seeking information about sexual health: Applying the theory of motivated information management. Human Communication Research 32 (1) https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.2006.00002.x (accessed )

Allen, S. 2013. Development and Validation Of A Suvey Instrument To Assess Health Information Seeking Behaviors Among African American Young Professionals [Dissertaion]. MA. Alabama. University of Alabama.

Altizer, Kathryn Paige, Joseph G Grzywacz, Sara A Quandt & Ronny Bell, & Thomas A Arcury. 2014. A Qualitative Analysis of How Elders Seek and Disseminate Health Information. Gerontology & Geriatrics Education 35 (4): 337-353. DOI: 10.1080/02701960.2013.844693

Apker, J. & E. B. Ray. 2000. Stress and social support in health care organizations. In T. L. Thompson, S. M. Dorsey, K. I. Miller, & S. Parrott (Eds.), Handbook of health communication; Mahwah, USA: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers; 347–368.

Bansal, G., F. Zahedi, & D. Gefen. 2010. The impact of personal dispositions on information sensitivity, privacy concern and trust in disclosing health information online. Decis. Support. Syst. 49 (2): 138–150.

Bauer, R.A. 1960. Consumer Behavior as Risk Taking, In: R. S. Hancock Ed., Dynamic Marketing for a Changing World, Proceedings of the 43rd. Conference of the American Marketing Association, 389-398.

Basch, Corey H., Sarah A. MacLean, Rachelle-Ann Romero and Danna Ethan. 2018. Health Information Seeking Behavior among College Students. Journal of Community Health 43 (6): 1094-1099. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-018-0526-9.

Burleson, B. R. & E. L. MacGeorge. 2002. Supportive communication. InM. L. Knapp, & J. A. Daly (Eds.), Handbook of interpersonal communication. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Centola, D. 2013. Social media and the science of health behavior. American Heart Association 127 (21): 2135-2144.

Chavarria, Eduardo A. 2014. Health Information Seeking on the Internet by College Men in Latino Fraternities. PhD dissertation. USA: University of Florida.

Chen, Lipeng & Wanlin Liu. 2022. The effect of internet access on body weight: evidence from China. Journal of Health Economics 85: 1-16.

Chuang, K. Y. & C. C. Yang. 2012. Interaction patterns of nurturant support exchanged in online health social networking. Journal of Medical Internet Research 14 (3): e54 Retrieved from http://www.jmir.org/2012/3/e54 /(accessed )

Cobb, S. 1976. Presidential address-1976. Social support as a moderator of life stress. Psychosom 38 (5): 300–314.

Cotten, Shelia R., and Sherry S. Gupta. 2004. Characteristics of Online and Offline Health Information Seekers and Factors That Discriminate Between Them. Social Science & Medicine 59 (9): 1795–1806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2004.02.020.

Cunningham, S.M. 1967. The major dimensions of perceived risk. In: Cox, D.F. (Ed.), Risk Taking and Information Handling in Consumer Behavior. MA. Harvard University Press.

Czaja, Sara J., Carol Manfredi, and Jennifer Price. 2003. The Determinants and Consequences of Information Seeking Among Cancer Patients. Journal of Health Communication 8 (6): 529–562. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730390249173.

DeAndrea, David C. 2015. Testing the proclaimed affordances of online health communities in a nationally representative sample of adults seeking mental health assistance. Journal of Health Communication: International Perspectives 20 (2): 147–156.

Derr, Jerica N. & Katrina M. Schrode. 2024. Empowering Patients through Health Information, Physician Assistant Clinics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpha.2024.05.003.

Elwell, L., S. Grogan & N. Coulson. 2011. Adolescents living with cancer the role of computer-mediated support groups. Journal of Health Psychology 16 (2): 236–248.

Eurostat – Statistics Explained. 2022. Digital economy and society statistics - households and individuals. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Digital_economy_and_society_statistics_-_households_and_individuals, (accessed March 2023).

Eysenbach, G. 2008. Medicine 2.0: Social networking, collaboration, participation, and openness. Journal of Medical Internet Research 10 (3): e22.

Featherman, M.S. & J.D. Wells. 2010. The intangibility of e-services: effects on perceived risk and acceptance. The DATA BASE for Advances in Information Systems 41 (2): 110–131.

Featherman, M.S. & P.A. Pavlou. 2003. Predicting e-services adoption: a perceived risk facets perspective. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies 59 (4): 451–474.

Fishbein, M. 1967. Readings in Attitude Theory and Measurement. New York: Wiley.

Flanagin, A.J. & M.J. Metzger. 2000. Perceptions of Internet information credibility. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly 77 (3): 515–540.

Fridman, Ilona, Skyler Johnson & Jennifer Elston Lafata. 2023. Health Information and Misinformation: A Framework to Guide Research and Practice. Jmir Medical Education 9: 1-9.

Gong, M. L., Z. Ma Wang, D. L. Tian. 2016. An efficient shortest path approach for social networks based on community structure. CAAI Transactions on Intelligence Technology 1: 114-123.

Hajli, M., H. Bugshan, X. Lin & M. Featherman. 2013. from e-learning to social learning–a health care study. European Journal of Training and Development 37 (9): 851–863.

Hajli, Nick, Julian Sims, Mauricio Feathermatiesn & Peter E D. Love. 2015. Credibility of information in online communi. Journal of Strategic Marketing 23 (3): 238–253. DOI:10.1080/0965254X.2014.920904

Hajli, Nick. 2014. The role of social support on relationship quality and social commerce. Technological Forecasting and Social Change 87: 17–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2014.05.012

Jacoby, J., & L. Kaplan. 1972. “The Components of Perceived Risk,” in Annual Conference of the Association for Consumer Research, M. Venkatesan, ed. Chicago: Association for Consumer Research: 382-393.

Johnson, G. J. & P. J. Ambrose. 2006. Neo-tribes: The power and potential of online communities in health care. Communications of the ACM 49 (1): 107–113.

Johnson, M. P. 2021. Health information technology and the challenges of misinformation in the digital era. Journal of Medical Internet Research 23 (5): e20456.

Kim, D. & L. Olfman. 2011. Determinants of Corporate Web Services Adoption: A Survey of Companies In Korea. Communications of the Association for Information Systems 29: 1-24.

Kim, Wonsun, Gary L Kreps & Cha-Nam Shin. 2015. The Role of Social Support and Social Networks in Health Information Seeking Behavior among Korean Americans. International Journal for Equity in Health. 14 (40): 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-015-0169-8

Kim, W., G.L. Kreps, & C.N. Shin. 2015. The role of social support and social networks in health information–seeking behavior among Korean Americans: a qualitative study. International Journal for Equity in Health 14 (40): 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-015-0169-8

Kummervold, P. E., D. Gammon, S. Bergvik, J. A. K. Johnsen, T. Hasvold & J. H. Rosenvinge. 2002. Social support in a wired world: use of online mental health forums in Norway. Nordic journal of psychiatry 56 (1): 59–65.

Lalazaryan, A., & F. Zare‑Farashbandi. 2014. A review of models and theories of health information seeking behavior. International Journal of Health System and Disaster Management 2 (4): 193-203.

Laroche, M., G. McDougall, J. Bergeron & Z. Yang. 2004. Exploring how intangibility affects perceived risk. Journal of Service Research 6 (4): 373–390.

Laroche, M., J. Bergeron & C. Goutaland. 2001. A three-dimensional scale of intangibility. Journal of Service Research 4 (1): 26-38.

Lee, M. 2009. Factors influencing the adoption of Internet banking: an integration of TAM and TPB with perceived risk and perceived benefit. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications 8 (3): 130–141.

Li, Y., X. Wang, X. Lin & M. Hajli. 2016. Seeking and sharing health information on social media: A net valencemodel and cross-cultural comparison, Technol. Forecast. Soc. Change http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2016.07.021

Lin, H. C., Y.J. Chen, C.C. Chen & W.H. Ho. 2018. Expectations of social networking site users who share and acquire health-related information. Computers and Electrical Engineering 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compeleceng.2018.02.014

Liu, Y., Yongqing Yang & Hongxiu Li. 2012. A Unified Risk-Benefit Analysis Framework For Investigating Mobile Payment Adoption, International Conference on Mobile Business: Low Wood Bay, Lake District, United Kingdom. June 26^th-28th: 1-12. https://aisel.aisnet.org/icmb2012/20

Maloney-Krichmar, D. & J. Preece. 2005. A multilevel analysis of sociability, usability, and community dynamics in an online health community. ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction 12 (2): 201–232.

Miller, E. A., & T. J. Smith. 2020. The importance of accurate health information in the digital age. Journal of Health Communication 25 (4): 239-252.

Mou, J. & J.F. Cohen. 2014. Trust, risk barriers and health beliefs in consumer acceptance of online health services,https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287302060_Trust_risk_barriers_and_health_beliefs_in_consumer_acceptance_of_online_health_services Thirty Fifth International Conference on Information Systems, Auckland: 1-19.

Mou, J. & J.F. Cohen. 2016, Health beliefs and the valence framework in health information seeking behaviors. Information Technology & People 29 (4): 876 – 900.

Murray, K.B. & J. L. Schlacter. 1990. The Impact of Services Versus Goods on Consumer’s Assessment of Perceived Risk and Variability. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 18 (1): 51-65.

Novi, Cinzia Di, Matija Kovacic & Cristina Elisa Orso. 2024. Online health information seeking behavior, healthcare access, and health status during exceptional times. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 220: 675-690. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2024.02.032

Panas, L. J. 2010. Determinants of Online Health Information-Seeking: Extending Andersen’s Healthcare Model to Examine Choices Made about Health Information. M.A. thesis, Laramie, WY: University of Wyoming.

Perron, B. 2002. Online support for caregivers of people with a mental illness. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal 26 (1): 70–77.

Pew Research Center. 2020. Health information on the Internet: The importance of trust. Pew Research Report.

Porter, C. E. & N. Donthu. 2006. Using the Technology Acceptance Model to Explain How Attitudes Determine Internet Usage: The Role of Perceived Access Barriers and Demographics. Journal of Business Research 59 (9): 999-1007.

Powell, John, Nick Inglis, Jenny Ronnie, and Sarah Large. 2011. The Characteristics and Motivations of Online Health Information Seekers: Cross-Sectional Survey and Qualitative Interview Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research 13 (1): e20. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.1600.

Preece, J. 1999. Empathic communities: Balancing emotional and factual communication. Interacting with Computers 12 (1): 63–77.

Rains, S. A. & C.D. Karmikel. 2009. Health information-seeking and perceptions of website credibility: Examining Web-use orientation, message characteristics, and structural features of websites. Computers in Human Behavior 25: 544–553.

Ratzan, Scott C. 2011. Health literacy and health information technology: Empowering patients and consumers. Journal of Health Communication 16 (sup1): 2-9.

Reifegerste, D., M. Bachl & M. Baumann. 2017. Surrogate health information seeking in Europe: Influence of source type and social network variables. International Journal of Medical Informatics 103: 7-14. https://doi:10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2017.04.006

Riley, S. E. 2013. Expressions of concern and social support about reproductive care for young women on an onlinemessage board. PhD Theses. University of Kentucky.

Sbaffi, Laura & Jennifer Rowley. 2017. Trust and source credibility in health information on the Internet. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 19 (6): e218. doi:10.2196/jmir.7579

Smith, L. S., & R. A. Jones. 2019. Access to health information and its impact on public health. International Journal of Public Health 64 (2): 123-130.

Starcevic, V., A. Schimmenti, J. Billieux & D. Berle. 2021. Cyberchondria in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies 3 (1): 53-62.

Stone, R. N. & K. Gronhaug. 1993. Perceived Risk: Further Considerations for the Marketing Discipline. European Journal of Marketing 27 (3): 39-50.

Suenaga, H. & M.R. Vicente. 2022. Online and offline health information seeking and the demand for physician services. The European Journal of Health Economics. ?: 1-20.

Teles, Mesut. 2024. The effect of fear on health information searching behavior during the pandemic: The case of COVID-19, International Journal of Medical Informatics 184, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2024.105368.

Thompson, Sandra, Vetta Sanders Thompson, Melba Talley, Nancy Caito, and Matthew Kreuter. 2009. African American Men’s Perceptions of Factors Influencing Health-Information Seeking. American Journal of Men’s Health 3: 6–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988308314960.

Thong, J.Y.L., W. Hong & K.Y. Tam. 2002. Understanding user acceptance of digital libraries: what are the roles of interface characteristics, organizational context, and individual differences. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies 57 (3): 215–242.

van Uden-Kraan, C. F. & C.H. Drossaert, E. Taal, B. R.Shaw, E. R. Seydel & M. A. van de Laar. 2008. Empowering processes and outcomes of participation in online support groups for patients with breast cancer, arthritis, or fibromyalgia. Qualitative Health Research 18: 405–417.

Venkatesh, V., M. Morris, G. Davis & F. Davis. 2003. User acceptance of information technology: toward a unified view. Management Information Systems Quarterly 27 (3): 452–478.

Weeger, A., X. Wang & H. Gewald. 2018. Determinants of Intention to Participate in Corporate BYOD-Programs: The Case of Digital Natives. Information Systems Frontiers :1-40.

Wu, I.L. & J.L. Chen. 2005. An extension of trust and TAM model with TPB in the initial adoption of on-line tax: an empirical study. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies 62 (6): 784-808.

Xie, Wenzhao, Chunliang Kang, Linyong Xu, Haiwei Cheng & Pingping Dai. 2024. Study on the quality evaluation of mobile social media health information and the relationship with health information dissemination. Information & Management 61 (3), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2024.103927

Yasin, B., & Ozen Hilal. 2011. E-health information search intentions of Turkish internet users. International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing 5 (2): 135–152.

Yoon, J., S. Kim. 2013. Internet use by international graduate students in the USA seeking health information. Aslib Journal of Information Management 66 (2): 117-133.

Yuan, Cheng, Xiaomin Wei, Xiaoyu Wu, Huilin Liu & Zongmin Jiang. 2024. Correlation between habits of using online health information and e-health literacy in middle-aged and older Chinese adults. Chinese General Practice Journal 1 (1): 42-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgpj.2024.03.003

Zakar, Rubeena, Sarosh Iqbal, Muhammad Zakria Zakar, and Florian Fischer. 2021. COVID-19 and Health Information Seeking Behavior: Digital Health Literacy Survey amongst University Students in Pakistan. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18 (8): 4009. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18084009.

Zhang, N., M. Teti, K. Stanfield & S. Campo. 2017. Sharing for Health: A Study of Chinese Adolescents’ Experiences and Perspectives on Using Social Network Sites to Share Health Information. Journal of Transcultural Nursing 28 (4): 423-429.

Zhao, Yuxiang Chris, Mengyuan Zhao, and Shijie Song. 2022. Online Health Information Seeking Behaviors among Older Adults: Systematic Scoping Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research 24 (2): e34790. https://doi.org/10.2196/34790.