Tailoring health communication:the perspective of information users' health information behaviour in relation to their physical health status

• Main Author: Enwald, H. (Heidi)
• Other Authors: Huotari, M. (Maija-Leena), Kortelainen, T. (Terttu)
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Oulun yliopisto 2013
• Subjects: health communication; health information; health promotion; human information behaviour; information use; intervention studies; tailoring health information; informaatiokäyttäytyminen; interventiotutkimukset; terveyden edistäminen; terveystiedon räätälöinti; terveystieto; terveysviestintä; tiedon käyttö; Northern Finland
• Online Access: http://urn.fi/urn:isbn:9789526202792

Abstract The aim of this thesis was twofold: firstly, to increase understanding about the user of health information; namely about differences of users’ characteristics of health information behaviour, and secondly, to contribute to the research on factors that could be used as bases to tailor health information. Health information behaviour was scrutinised as information needs and seeking and information use in particular. It was also studied in relation to individuals’ physical health status. More studies on information use are needed, because understanding individual characteristics in issues related to information use has been considered critical for promoting healthy behaviours. Moreover, the thesis addressed the gap in research on the relationship between health information behaviour and tailoring health information. The thesis consists of three empirical studies and a literature review. The empirical research environments were provided by an intervention study aiming to prevent type 2 diabetes among a high risk population and by a population-based study among military conscription aged men. The setting was the City of Oulu in Northern Finland with the University of Oulu and the Oulu Deaconess Institute as the main operators of the studies. The empirical data were collected through questionnaires as well as through physiological and biochemical measurements during years 2010 and 2011. The data were analysed with statistical methods. Moreover, a literature review of tailored interventions studies using a computer as the medium of delivery in the context of physical activity, nutrition and weight management, was conducted. The findings indicate differences in health information users’ characteristics related to their information use as such and in relation to the indicators of their physical health status. It is suggested that, for example, health information presentation could be tailored on the basis of found differences and different message strategies and tactics could be used for different kinds of ...