Where do people seek health information? Asians utilizing sources differently from Blacks or Whites

Purpose: As Internet technology advances, major sources of health information are changing.  This study examined major sources of health information among Asians, Blacks, and Whites for tailored health communication strategies. Methods: An online survey was administered to a sample of adults in higher education settings.  Asians and Blacks were over-sampled for more balanced group comparisons.  Results:  A total of 352 participants were included in the current analyses (40% Asians, 30% Blacks, and 30% Whites). There were no differences in age with an overall mean of 29.2 (SD=9.45) years.  Asian males were more likely to participate in the study (44.3%), compared with blacks (11.2%) or whites (19.2%) (p<.001).  Black participants were less likely to be married (17.0%), compared with whites (26.2%) or Asians (33.3%) (p=.003).  Asians were more likely to seek TV (p=.016), newspaper (p=.023), or social media (p=.004) for health information, compared with whites (item means of 2.46 vs. 2.06, 2.58 vs. 2.22, and 2.58 vs. 2.09, respectively).  On the other hand, Asians were less likely to turn to the Internet, doctors / nurses, or friends / colleagues for health information, compared with blacks / whites (item means of 2.89 vs. 3.44 / 3.44, 2.32 vs. 3.30 / 3.42, and 2.46 vs. 2.76 / 2.90, respectively; all p<.001). Conclusion: This pilot study showed different patterns on major sources of health information by race.  More studies are needed to examine related factors.  Results have implication on tailored health communication channels and strategies to close racial health disparities.