JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Generation Z (born 1995–2010) members are digital residents who use technology and the Internet more frequently than any previous generation to learn about their health. They are increasingly moving away from conventional methods of seeking out health information as technology advances quickly and becomes more widely available, resulting in a more digitalized healthcare system. Like all groups, Generation Z has specific healthcare requirements and preferences, and their use of technology influences how they look for health information. However, they have often been overlooked in scholarly research.

Objective:

To identify the variations in health information-seeking behaviors between older people and Generation Z (aged between 18 and 26 years). To assess the differences in health empowerment between Generation Z and older people, as well as to compare the degrees of digital health literacy among both groups. To pinpoint the relationships between information seeking, digital health literacy and health empowerment.

Methods:

Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) was adopted for further use in 2022. A total of 1862 valid data were analyzed by surveying 3389 Chinese respondents to address the research gap. A descriptive analysis, t-test, and multiple linear regression were applied to the data.

Results:

When compared to earlier generations, Generation Z respondents, who numbered 995 (53.44%), were more likely to use the Internet to find out about health-related topics, whereas earlier generations relied more on traditional media and interpersonal contact. Online information-seeking behavior is predicted by digital health literacy (Generation Z: β = .192, P < .001; Older population: β = .337, P < .001). While this was happening, only seeking health information from physicians positively predicted health empowerment (Generation Z: β = .070, P = .002; Older population: β = .089, P < .001). Despite more frequently using Internet to find out about their health, Generation Z showed lower levels of health empowerment and less desire to look for health information overall.

Conclusions:

This study examined and compared the health information-seeking behaviors of Generation Z and older individuals to improve digital health literacy and health empowerment. The two groups demonstrated distinct preferences in their choice of information sources. It was found that health empowerment and eHealth literacy were both significantly related to information-seeking behaviors.