Yoshimitsu Takahashi*, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan Tomoko Ohura, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan Shigeru Okamoto, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan Kenji Miki, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan Mariko Naito, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan Rie Akamatsu, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan Hiroki Sugimori, Daito Bunka University, Tokyo, Japan Nobuo Yoshiike, Aomori University of Health and Welfare, Aomori, Japan Michi Sakai, International Medical Center of Japan, Tokyo, Japan Koichi Miyaki, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan Takuro Shimbo, International Medical Center of Japan, Tokyo, Japan Takeo Nakayama, Kyoto University, Tokyo, Japan Track: Research Presentation Topic: Health information on the web: Supply and Demand Presentation Type: Oral presentation Submission Type: Single Presentation Building: MaRS Centre, 101 College Street, Toronto, Canada Room: CR3 Date: 2009-09-18 01:30 PM – 03:00 PM Last modified: 2009-08-13

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Background: Previous studies have reported that the general public uses the Internet to obtain health-related information (40% in USA in 2002, 52% in Europe in 2007). However, the effects on actual health care utilization (e.g., number of physician visits) were less substantial than some have claimed. Cellular phones are also used widely to access the Internet, but little is known regarding e-health activities in a representative population in Japan.

Objective: The present study aimed to measure prevalence of Internet or email use with personal computers and cellular phones to obtain health-related information, and to examine the relationship between their use and user characteristics.

Methods: We designed a cross-sectional survey of the Japanese general population aged 15-79. Study participants were selected by stratified multistage random sampling. In September 2007, we conducted a questionnaire survey which used a self-reported placement method, where sample size was targeted at 1200. The survey contained questions pertaining to subject characteristics and use of the Internet or e-mail to obtain health-related information with personal computers or cellular phones in the last year, respectively. Logistic regression analyses investigated the relationship between Internet or e-mail use to obtain health-related information and user characteristics (age, sex, annual household income, educational attainment, self-reported health status, and residence).

Results: Our analysis was performed on the 1200 survey respondents. Mean (±SD) age was 46.3 (±17.4), 49.6% were males, 18.7% had obtained at least a college education, and 41.0% reported at least six million yen as household income. We found that 23.8% (286/1200) used personal computers to obtain health-related information, and that access via personal computers was significantly related to the following: 50-64 years old (adjusted odds ratio [confidence interval]:0.6[0.4-0.9]), 65-74 years old (0.2[0.1-0.4]), over 75 years old (0.2[0.04-0.6]) (20-34 years old used as reference), over 10 million yen income (2.5[1.3-4.7]) (less than 3 million yen income used as reference), 13-15 years of education (1.7[1.2-2.6]), and over 16 years of education (4.7[3.3-6.8]) (less than 12 years of education used as reference). On the other hand, 6.4% (77/1200) used cellular phones to obtain health-related information, and access via cellular phones was significantly related to being 50-64 years old (0.2[0.1-0.5]).

Conclusions: We found that the general public use cellular phones (6.4%) less than personal computers (23.8%) to obtain health-related information through the Internet or e-mail. As for user characteristics, older age, lower education levels, and lower income could be a deterrent in terms of obtaining digital health-related information.