An examination of health information interests and communication channel preferences among older people

Effective communication with older people has become a concern for many public health professionals. In order for health professionals to improve communication effectiveness and efficiency, it is essentially important to gain a better understanding of the areas of health information interests and preferred communication sources. A health needs, preferences, and utilization assessment survey was conducted in four rural counties in central Michigan and over 3.000 surveys were returned. Based on 757 surveys by the respondents aged 65 years or older, gerontological health related to health information interests and communication channel preferences were examined. The results of statistical analysis on the multiple response question related to health topic interests revealed that information related to senior's health was most wanted, followed by weight control/loss and heart health. Information on self/home care was least wanted. Variations on the topics of interest due to gender and age were apparent. It was also revealed that, of the nine communication channels asked, residents preferred receiving health information from their personal physician, followed by other health professionals (e.g., nurse practitioner, physician's assistant, nurse). The least preferred channel was their friends. Of the media related sources, Internet (even it was from a reliable source such as a university or government site) and radio were least preferred. Findings in this study will enhance health professionals in their ability to more effectively convey important health information and messages, which, in turn, would improve community health among older residents.