Effect of Personality on the Use and Perceived Utility of Web-Based Health Resources

Studies document numerous threats to human health exacerbated by multiple factors, including inadequate access to health-related information. The Internet has developed as one resource to provide health information; however, there remains a significant gap in understanding how personality differences influence the use and perceived utility of the Internet for providing health information. Guided by the transactional model for stress and coping, the purpose of this concurrent mixed-methods study was to determine if personality factors related to perceived control affected a person's tendency to seek out and value health information on the Internet. Research questions explored associations linking individual differences in perceived control with Internet use. A convenience sample of 175 Internet users completed an online survey that included the Perceived Health Competence scale (PHC), the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHLC), and assessments of health information-seeking behaviors (HISB). Multiple linear regression was used to document significant links between MHLC and HISB scales assessing health-specific Internet use and satisfaction. Open-ended HISB data were coded and analyzed by use of a spiral method of visualizing of data, identifying themes, interpretation, and the final representation of data. Several emergent themes were used to explain the type/purpose of information sought, the perceived usefulness and credibility of the site/source, and ways of improving communication. The study contributes to positive social change by describing how the Internet can be better employed as a tool to deliver reliable, comprehensive health information in a way that increases its effectiveness in ameliorating threats to human health.