Lourdes S. Martinez

Information seeking from media and family/friends increases the likelihood of engaging in healthy lifestyle behaviors

The amount of cancer-related information available to the general population continues to grow; yet, its effects are unclear. This study extends previous cross-sectional research establishing that cancer information seeking across a variety of sources is extensive and positively associated with engaging in health-related behaviors. The authors studied how active information seeking about cancer prevention influenced three healthy lifestyle behaviors using a 2-round nationally representative sample of adults ages 40–70 years (n = 1,795), using propensity scoring to control for potential confounders including baseline behavior. The adjusted odds of dieting at follow-up were 1.51 (95% CI: 1.05, 2.19) times higher for those who reported baseline seeking from media and interpersonal sources relative to nonseekers. Baseline seekers ate 0.59 (95% CI: 0.28, 0.91) more fruits and vegetable servings per day and exercised 0.36 (95% CI: 0.12, 0.60) more days per week at 1-year follow-up compared with nonseekers. The effects of seeking from media and friends/family on eating fruits and vegetables and exercising were independent of seeking from physicians. The authors offer several explanations for why information seeking predicts healthy lifestyle behaviors: information obtained motivates these behaviors; information sought teaches specific techniques; and the act of information seeking may reinforce a psychological commitment to dieting, eating fruits and vegetables, and exercising.

Research on Social Networking Sites and Social Support from 2004 to 2015: A Narrative Review and Directions for Future Research

The article presents a narrative review of scholarship on social support through social networking sites (SNSs) published from 2004 to 2015. By searching keywords related to social support and SNSs in major databases for social sciences, we identified and content analyzed directly relevant articles (N = 88). The article summarizes the prevalence of theory usage; the function of theory usage (e.g., testing a theory, developing a theory); major theories referenced; and methodologies, including research designs, measurement, and the roles of social support and SNS examined in this literature. It also reports four themes identified across the studies, indicating the trends in the current research. Based on the review, the article presents a discussion about study sites, conceptualization of social support, theoretical coherence, the role of social networks, and the dynamic relationships between SNS use and social support, which points out potential avenues for shaping a future research agenda.

The role of direct-to-consumer advertising in shaping public opinion surrounding prescription drug use to treat depression or anxiety in youth.

This study investigated the impact of exposure to prescription drug advertisements for antidepressants and antianxiety medications on public opinion regarding preferred treatment options for youth suffering from depression or anxiety. The study randomly recruited a nationally representative adult sample (N = 402) through the 2007 Annenberg National Health Communication Survey. The study examined the distribution of public support for the use of antidepressant drugs to treat depression and anxiety disorders in youth. The analysis adjusted for the effects of demographic characteristics, prior knowledge about prescription drugs, and personal and familial drug history. Attitude toward direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA, for all products) moderated the effect of exposure to ads for these drug treatments on support for their use among youth as a preferred treatment. Among respondents with negative attitude toward direct-to-consumer advertising (for all products), with increased exposure to ads for antidepressants and antianxiety medications, support for the use of these drugs to treat youth decreased. Among this group, with high levels of exposure to advertisements, the predicted probability of support decreased from 0.68 (95% CI: 0.61 to 0.76) to 0.46 (95% CI: 0.38 to 0.56). No effect was found among respondents with positive attitudes toward DTCA (for all products). The implications of the findings are discussed.

Nonmedical information seeking amid conflicting health information: negative and positive effects on prostate cancer screening

Abstract This study investigates the impact of seeking information about the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test on men’s PSA test use during a period of conflicting recommendations. Analyses used longitudinal survey data collected in 2005 and 2006 from a nationally representative sample of U.S. males aged 40–70 years (n = 777). Cross-sectionally, nonmedical information seeking was significantly associated with increased odds of having a PSA test in the past year (Time 1 odds ratio [OR] = 9.74, p < .01, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.37, 21.70; Time 2 OR = 5.78, p < .01, 95% CI = 3.17, 10.55). However, lagged analyses showed that among men who had a PSA at Time 1, active seeking is associated with reduced odds of later having a PSA test (OR = 0.33, p < .05, 95% CI = 0.13, 0.85). Participants who had not had a PSA test in the past year very rarely sought information about PSA tests. Information acquisition in an environment of conflicting recommendations may influence adoption of cancer screening behaviors.

Does the Number of Cancer Patients' Close Social Ties Affect Cancer-Related Information Seeking Through Communication Efficacy? Testing a Mediation Model

This study addresses whether having a broad social network of close friends equips cancer patients with increased efficacy to engage in communication about their cancer, which then leads to an increased likelihood of patients actively seeking cancer-related information. Guided by the theory of motivated information management, the study also tests whether the effect of the number of close social ties on information seeking is mediated, in part, by communication efficacy. Results are based on data collected from a randomly drawn sample from the Pennsylvania Cancer Registry of 2,013 cancer patients who completed mail surveys in the Fall of 2006. Results are consistent with a cross-sectional mediation effect in which the number of close social ties in ones social network is positively associated with communication efficacy (b = .17, p = .001), which, in turn, is positively associated with cancer-related information seeking (b = .13, p < .001).

Examining Patterns and Motivations for Drug-Related Information Seeking and Scanning Behavior: A Cross-National Comparison of American and Israeli College Students

The current study uses a grounded theory approach to explore dimensions and bi-national comparisons of active information seeking efforts (seeking) for and passive information acquisition (scanning) of drug-related information among two college student samples from the United States (N = 25) and Israel (N = 39). Specifically, the study focuses on seeking and scanning related to amphetamines and marijuana, two frequently used drugs among college populations, about which information is easily accessible. Results of semi-structured interviews suggest that information scanning and seeking about marijuana and amphetamines are common, particularly from peers and from the Internet. The analysis uncovers themes relating to young adults’ drug-related, information-seeking behaviors, including cross-source information acquisition across interpersonal and media sources, and motivations for engaging in active efforts to seek drug-related information. These findings extend research on information seeking and scanning and suggest future research should examine predictors and effects of these behaviors in the context of substance use.

Explaining the Effects of Anticipated Regret Messages on Young Women's Intention to Consume Folic Acid: A Moderated-Mediation Model

This study tests a moderated-mediation model to explain the joint effects of consideration of future consequences and exposure to health messages containing an anticipated regret component on behavioral intention to consume folic acid. In an online survey-experiment conducted in March 2011, 245 women 18–35 years of age were randomized to 1 of 3 conditions (exposure to attitude-only message/exposure to attitude-plus-anticipated-regret message/no message exposure) in a between-participants design. Results showed a positive joint effect of consideration of future consequences and exposure to an attitude-plus-anticipated-regret message on anticipated regret (B = 0.89, SE = 0.41, p < .05). Among women high in consideration of future consequences, exposure to an attitude-plus-anticipated-regret message increased anticipated regret. Likewise, another positive joint effect of consideration of future consequences and anticipated regret on behavioral intention was observed (B = 0.28, SE = 0.12, p < .05). Anticipated regret was positively related to intention among women high in consideration of future consequences. Implications are discussed.

A Cross-Comparative Survey of Information Seeking and Scanning About Drug-Related Sources and Topics Among U.S. and Israeli College Students

Abstract There is an increasing amount of drug-related information that is easily accessible from media and interpersonal sources. Recent research shows significant positive associations between information acquisition and nonmedical drug use intentions among college students. This study examines information about amphetamines and marijuana that was actively searched (“seeking”) as well as information that was encountered during routine media use (“scanning”). Data are drawn from a cross-national comparative survey of college students in the United States (N = 734) and in Israel (N = 800). U.S. participants reported seeking and scanning information about marijuana across a broader range of sources than Israeli participants. Among U.S. and Israeli participants, the most frequently searched marijuana-related topics included the benefits of marijuana, negative effects of marijuana use, and political reasons why marijuana should be legal. Participants from both countries reported the benefits of amphetamines, and the negative effects of amphetamine use as the most frequently searched topics about amphetamines. Participants in both countries identified the internet and friends as the most popular sources of drug-related information and noted that physicians, friends, and the internet were the most trusted sources. Implications for research on information seeking and health communication are discussed.

Measures of Information Seeking: A Validation Study in the Context of Nonmedical Drug Use Behaviors

ABSTRACT Health information is readily available and easily obtained from a variety of media and interpersonal sources. Although several studies have examined health-related information seeking, a comprehensive validation study of this measure is still needed. This study uses a longitudinal cohort study of Israeli university students (N = 800) aged 18–30, and a cross-sectional sample of U.S. college students (N = 498) to validate measures of information seeking about the nonmedical use of two drugs (marijuana and amphetamines) from a range of media and interpersonal sources. Information seeking measures for both drug types showed good convergent, discriminant, nomological, and test-retest validity. Results offer support for the use of these measures as valid indicators of the constructs for which they were designed. Implications for the use of these measures in future research are discussed.

Okay, We Get It. You Vape: An Analysis of Geocoded Content, Context, and Sentiment regarding E-Cigarettes on Twitter.

The current study examined conversations on Twitter related to use and perceptions of e-cigarettes in the United States. We employed the Social Media Analytic and Research Testbed (SMART) dashboard, which was used to identify and download (via a public API) e-cigarette-related geocoded tweets. E-cigarette-related tweets were collected continuously using customized geo-targeted Twitter APIs. A total of 193,051 tweets were collected between October 2015 and February 2016. Of these tweets, a random sample of 973 geocoded tweets were selected and manually coded for information regarding source, context, and message characteristics. Our findings reveal that although over half of tweets were positive, a sizeable portion was negative or neutral. We also found that, among those tweets mentioning a stigma of e-cigarettes, most confirmed that a stigma does exist. Conversely, among tweets mentioning the harmfulness of e-cigarettes, most denied that e-cigarettes were a health hazard. These results suggest that current efforts have left the public with ambiguity regarding the potential dangers of e-cigarettes. Consequently, it is critical to communicate the public health stance on this issue to inform the public and provide counterarguments to the positive sentiments presently dominating conversations about e-cigarettes on social media. The lack of awareness and need to voice a public health position on e-cigarettes represents a vital opportunity to continue winning gains for tobacco control and prevention efforts through health communication interventions targeting e-cigarettes.