title: Predictors of Online Health Information Seeking Among Women with Breast Cancer: The Role of Social Support Perception and Emotional Well-Being.
abstract: This study attempts to examine the role of social support perception and emotional well-being on online information seeking among cancer patients within the context of CHESS, a well-established Interactive Cancer Communication System (ICCS). Factor and regression analyses conducted among 231 breast cancer patients revealed that social support perception and emotional well-being interacted with each other to influence online health information seeking. Patients with low social support perception and high emotional well-being were most likely to seek health information, whereas patients with high social support perception and high emotional well-being sought out the same information least. Practical implications of the study findings were further discussed.
authors.affiliation: Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Sojung Claire
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies (CHESS), University of Wisconsin-Madison.
authors.forename: Dhavan V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.affiliation: Department of Community and Leadership Development, University of Kentucky.
authors.forename: Kang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Namkoong
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies (CHESS), University of Wisconsin-Madison.
authors.forename: Fiona M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: McTavish
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies (CHESS), University of Wisconsin-Madison.
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Gustafson
keywords: Emotional well-being; Interactive Cancer Communication System (ICCS); Online information search; Social support availability; e-Health intervention