Internet Use for Seeking Health Information in Old Age

Objective: This study was planned to determine the duration of internet usage and the factors affecting the internet usage of individuals who have active internet use in old age. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional-descriptive and correlational study was conducted with 411 elderly individuals between January 15 and March 1, 2020. The data were collected through a socio-demographic data form and an online questionnaire containing questions to determine the health-related internet use of the elderly. Results: The average age of the participants was 69.2 (SD±3.9) years; 54.9% of them are women and 45.1% are men. The average daily internet usage time of the elderly is 102.7±56.1 and the time to obtain health-related information is 20.33±15.5 minutes. The most common reasons why the internet is preferred for obtaining information about health are being easily accessible, obtaining preliminary information, and controlling the information obtained. Conclusion: It was determined that the elderly used the internet most frequently after health professionals to obtain information about health. Some of the elderly people stated that the information they obtained from the internet is not reliable and this information worries them. In line with these results, it is recommended that web resources containing information about health should be reviewed by health professionals, taking into account their age-friendly characteristics.