Finnish 'silver surfers' and online health information

Abstract

The Internet is thought to be beneficial for the elderly regarding health communication. Many of those over 65 years of age do not, however, use the Internet. This paper presents results from a survey and a follow-up interview concerning health information seeking of Finns aged 65-79 years. Questionnaires were distributed to 1000 persons living in the Turku region in January 2011, and 281 questionnaires were returned. Interviews were conducted with 49 of those who had returned the questionnaire, and 19 interviews are included in this study. The results show that the Internet is fairly little used when elderly seek health-related information, and that many older, less educated and unhealthier persons do not use it at all. Those who use it the most mainly search Google, and obtain hits that can vary in quality. Health and information providers should be cautious to rely on the ability of seniors to take care of themselves and their health through information on the Internet, as there are still so many who do not use the web at all. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.