Worried and wired: effects of health anxiety on information-seeking and health care utilization behaviors

Abstract

Although online health information-seeking has been widely studied and findings suggest a variety of motivations behind an individual's health information-seeking behavior, little is known about how this information influences health utilization behaviors. Thus, the current study investigates the relationship between online health information seeking and health care utilization such as visiting a doctor. Additionally, this project expands the literature by examining the moderating role of health anxiety. Results suggest that an individual's level of health anxiety moderates the relationship between online health information seeking and health care utilization decisions.