Background:
Access to health information and digital tools is essential for meaningful engagement in care. Age influences both health literacy and digital behavior, shaping how people learn about their health, use online tools, and manage care. Exploring these patterns across age groups can inform more inclusive technology strategies and highlight opportunities to design digital tools that meet the needs of all adults.

Objectives:
To examine how health information-seeking behaviors, social media use for health, and engagement with digital health tools differ across three age groups: younger adults (18–35), middle-aged adults (36–54), and older adults (55+).

Methods:
Data come from the Atlantic Health Equity Survey, a national online survey of 1,500 U.S. adults conducted via a digital research panel. Responses were filtered to include only U.S. residents and grouped into three age categories based on self-reported age. Survey items analyzed included primary sources of health information (Q14), social media platforms used for health (Q15), preferred digital tools to manage care (Q22), patient portal access and usage (Q23), and perceived challenges or benefits of patient portals (Q24). Pivot tables were used to calculate response percentages by age group and identify cross-generational patterns.

Results:
Data is still under analysis, with a completion target date of May 1, 2025.

Conclusions:
Digital health engagement is shaped by age-related differences in technology use and digital literacy, which can influence how individuals seek information, interact with providers, and manage their care online.

Public Health Implications:
Digital tools must reflect the needs and preferences of different age groups to improve access, usability, and health engagement across diverse adult populations in the U.S. Incorporating age-specific preferences into platform design and digital outreach efforts can improve health literacy, promote consistent use of digital services, strengthen patient-provider trust, and support shared decision-making.