title: Seeking health advice on the Internet in patients with health problems: a cross-sectional population study in Slovenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the one-month prevalence of the seeking of web-based health information in the general adult population and to identify the symptoms associated with more frequent searching for information online.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was an observational cross-sectional study in a representative sample of 1,002 randomly selected Slovenian inhabitants. We used the method of computer-assisted telephone interviews. The questionnaire consisted of demographic questions, questions about the prevalence and duration of pre-selected symptoms in the past month, questions on the presence of chronic disease and a question about using the Internet for seeking health advice in the past month.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 774 respondents who reported having had symptoms in the past month, 25.8% of them reported seeking health information on the Internet. The factors found to be independently associated with the seeking of health information on the Internet were a younger age, a higher education level and the presence of constipation, irritability, fatigue, memory impairment and excessive sweating in the past month.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study showed that the Internet was a common source of health information in the general adult population, particularly used for symptoms which are common but not well defined and not associated with a particular disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Medical School, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia. zalika.klemenc-ketis@unimb.si
authors.forename: Zalika
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Klemenc-Ketis
authors.forename: Janko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kersnik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D054626:Consumer Health Information / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D017524:Slovenia; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors