Sources and level of information about health issues and preventive services among young-old persons in Switzerland.
OBJECTIVE
to describe the sources of health information in young-old persons, and how they feel informed about preventive services.


METHODS
1567 randomly selected persons aged 65-69 years were asked where they did get information about health, and whether they felt sufficiently informed about recommended preventive services.


RESULTS
Most participants (over 90%) cited their physician as a source of health information, while only 4% cited the Internet. Level of information was low for several preventive services, including colon cancer screening (55% felt sufficiently informed) and immunization against pneumonia (27% sufficiently informed).


CONCLUSIONS
Promotion of preventive services in older populations should take into account the preponderant role of physicians as a source of information and advice.
Seematter-Bagnoud
Laurence
L
Health Services Research, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (IUMSP), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. Laurence.Seematter-Bagnoud@chuv.ch
Santos-Eggimann
Brigitte
B
D000368:Aged; D054626:Consumer Health Information / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013557:Switzerland; D014600:Utilization Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data