JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The rising global burden of diabetes underscores the need for accessible, relevant health information to enable effective self-management and informed health decision-making. While the internet has become a preferred health information source, no comprehensive synthesis has specifically addressed online health information seeking (OHIS) behaviors among individuals with diabetes.

Objective:

This scoping review aimed to systematically explore OHIS behaviors among individuals with diabetes, with a focus on: (1) the online sources used, (2) the types of health information sought, and (3) the factors influencing these behaviors.

Methods:

This review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines and informed by the Sample, Phenomenon of Interest, Design, Evaluation, Research type (SPIDER) tool. PubMed and Scopus were systematically searched for empirical studies published in English from inception to April 2025. Search terms included “diabetes,” “T1DM and T2DM,” “NIDDM,” “IDDM,” “information seeking behavior,” “health exchange,” “health literacy,” “eHealth literacy,” “internet,” “social media,” and “web,” combining using Boolean operators. Data extraction and qualitative content analysis were undertaken in accordance with the research questions.

Results:

Of 1,072 records screened, 46 studies met the inclusion criteria. The most frequently reported online sources were social media platforms and online forums (n = 23, 50.0%), followed by general internet use (n = 22, 47.8%), and search engines (n = 13, 28.3%). Among the 34 (73.9%) studies that reported the types of information sought, the most common were self-management strategies (n = 17, 50.0%), general diabetes knowledge (n = 15, 44.1%), and treatment options (n = 11, 32.4%). Factors influencing OHIS behaviors, reported in 31 (67.4%) studies, were classified according to the Social Ecological Model into individual, interpersonal, organizational, and environmental domains.

Conclusions:

Individuals with diabetes frequently engage with diverse online sources to address ongoing information needs. However, ensuring that online content is comprehensible, actionable, and trustworthy remains a challenge. Patients’ OHIS behaviors are shaped by a complex interplay of individual and contextual determinants, highlighting the need for targeted strategies to support effective online engagement. Healthcare professionals are well-positioned to facilitate this process by discussing patients’ online findings, directing them to credible sources, and integrating social networks into care delivery. The evolving role of large-language model-based chatbots merits future investigation regarding their capacity to support OHIS within diabetes management.