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Older adultsʼ credibility assessment of online health information: An exploratory study using an extended typology of web credibility

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  • Wonchan Choi

Abstract

Credibility assessment is a crucial component in the process of peopleʼs health information seeking, especially in the web context. Finding “credible” health information from a plethora of information on the web may be more challenging for older adults, who have relatively less experience with the Internet. This article reports on the findings of an exploratory study of older adultsʼ credibility assessments of online health information. The data collected through semistructured interviews with 21 older adult Internet users in the United States were analyzed based on the extended typology of web credibility (Choi & Stvilia, 2015, Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 66, 2399–2414). The findings of the study revealed that older adults paid closer attention to operator‐related credibility cues and heuristics when judging the credibility of health information on the web, followed by content‐ and design‐related ones. Also, the findings suggest that participants who were younger and used the Internet more frequently employed a wider variety of cues and heuristics to evaluate the credibility of online health information. Based on these findings, both theoretical and practical implications of the research and future research directions are discussed.

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  • Wonchan Choi, 2020. "Older adultsʼ credibility assessment of online health information: An exploratory study using an extended typology of web credibility," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 71(11), pages 1295-1307, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jinfst:v:71:y:2020:i:11:p:1295-1307
    DOI: 10.1002/asi.24341
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Wonchan Choi & Besiki Stvilia, 2015. "Web credibility assessment: Conceptualization, operationalization, variability, and models," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 66(12), pages 2399-2414, December.
    2. Rajagopal, 2014. "The Human Factors," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Architecting Enterprise, chapter 9, pages 225-249, Palgrave Macmillan.
    3. Miriam J. Metzger, 2007. "Making sense of credibility on the Web: Models for evaluating online information and recommendations for future research," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 58(13), pages 2078-2091, November.
    4. Teun Lucassen & Rienco Muilwijk & Matthijs L. Noordzij & Jan Maarten Schraagen, 2013. "Topic familiarity and information skills in online credibility evaluation," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 64(2), pages 254-264, February.
    5. Julian Unkel & Alexander Haas, 2017. "The effects of credibility cues on the selection of search engine results," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 68(8), pages 1850-1862, August.
    6. Reijo Savolainen, 2011. "Judging the quality and credibility of information in Internet discussion forums," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 62(7), pages 1243-1256, July.
    7. C. Nadine Wathen & Jacquelyn Burkell, 2002. "Believe it or not: Factors influencing credibility on the Web," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 53(2), pages 134-144.
    8. Teun Lucassen & Rienco Muilwijk & Matthijs L. Noordzij & Jan Maarten Schraagen, 2013. "Topic familiarity and information skills in online credibility evaluation," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 64(2), pages 254-264, February.
    9. Reijo Savolainen, 2011. "Judging the quality and credibility of information in Internet discussion forums," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 62(7), pages 1243-1256, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Frishammar, Johan & Essén, Anna & Bergström, Frida & Ekman, Tilda, 2023. "Digital health platforms for the elderly? Key adoption and usage barriers and ways to address them," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    2. Keren Dopelt & Nofar Avni & Yana Haimov-Sadikov & Iris Golan & Nadav Davidovitch, 2021. "Telemedicine and eHealth Literacy in the Era of COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Peripheral Clinic in Israel," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-13, September.
    3. Osnat Roth-Cohen & Shalom Levy & Avi Zigdon, 2021. "The Mediated Role of Credibility on Information Sources and Patient Awareness toward Patient Rights," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-15, August.

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