Exploring developmental trajectory of cyberchondria over time: A three-wave panel study

Han Zheng; Hye Kyung Kim; Sei Ching Joanna Sin; Yin Leng Theng

doi:10.1016/j.tele.2022.101892

Exploring developmental trajectory of cyberchondria over time: A three-wave panel study

Han Zheng^*, Hye Kyung Kim, Sei Ching Joanna Sin, Yin Leng Theng

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Cyberchondria describes online health information seeking (OHIS) in an excessive pattern, along with other characteristics, including distress, reassurance, and compulsion. Drawing upon the risk information seeking and processing model and the hybrid model of cyberchondria, this study investigated how health anxiety, information insufficiency, OHIS contributed to cyberchondria over time. We conducted a three-wave panel survey in China (N = 1,271, W₁ in June 2021; N = 816, W₂ in July 2021; N = 654, W₃ in August 2021). Results of a cross-lagged panel model demonstrated that health anxiety at Wave 1 had a cross-lagged effect on information insufficiency at Wave 2. Moreover, information insufficiency at Wave 1 increased OHIS at Wave 2, which further predicted cyberchondria at Wave 3. Health anxiety, information insufficiency, and OHIS were directly and positively related to cyberchondria across the waves, except that information insufficiency at Wave 1 did not predict cyberchondria at Wave 2. This study documented the dynamic and intricate processes underlying the development of cyberchondria, providing both theoretical and practical insights in this nascent research area.

Original language	English
Article number	101892
Journal	Telematics and Informatics
Volume	75
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2022.101892
Publication status	Published - Dec 2022
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Ltd

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Computer Networks and Communications
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Keywords

Cross-lagged panel model
Cyberchondria
Health anxiety
Information insufficiency
Online health information seeking

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10.1016/j.tele.2022.101892

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title = "Exploring developmental trajectory of cyberchondria over time: A three-wave panel study",

abstract = "Cyberchondria describes online health information seeking (OHIS) in an excessive pattern, along with other characteristics, including distress, reassurance, and compulsion. Drawing upon the risk information seeking and processing model and the hybrid model of cyberchondria, this study investigated how health anxiety, information insufficiency, OHIS contributed to cyberchondria over time. We conducted a three-wave panel survey in China (N = 1,271, W1 in June 2021; N = 816, W2 in July 2021; N = 654, W3 in August 2021). Results of a cross-lagged panel model demonstrated that health anxiety at Wave 1 had a cross-lagged effect on information insufficiency at Wave 2. Moreover, information insufficiency at Wave 1 increased OHIS at Wave 2, which further predicted cyberchondria at Wave 3. Health anxiety, information insufficiency, and OHIS were directly and positively related to cyberchondria across the waves, except that information insufficiency at Wave 1 did not predict cyberchondria at Wave 2. This study documented the dynamic and intricate processes underlying the development of cyberchondria, providing both theoretical and practical insights in this nascent research area.",

keywords = "Cross-lagged panel model, Cyberchondria, Health anxiety, Information insufficiency, Online health information seeking",

author = "Han Zheng and \{Kyung Kim\}, Hye and \{Joanna Sin\}, \{Sei Ching\} and Theng, \{Yin Leng\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 Elsevier Ltd",

year = "2022",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1016/j.tele.2022.101892",

language = "English",

volume = "75",

journal = "Telematics and Informatics",

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T1 - Exploring developmental trajectory of cyberchondria over time

T2 - A three-wave panel study

AU - Zheng, Han

AU - Kyung Kim, Hye

AU - Joanna Sin, Sei Ching

AU - Theng, Yin Leng

PY - 2022/12

Y1 - 2022/12

N2 - Cyberchondria describes online health information seeking (OHIS) in an excessive pattern, along with other characteristics, including distress, reassurance, and compulsion. Drawing upon the risk information seeking and processing model and the hybrid model of cyberchondria, this study investigated how health anxiety, information insufficiency, OHIS contributed to cyberchondria over time. We conducted a three-wave panel survey in China (N = 1,271, W1 in June 2021; N = 816, W2 in July 2021; N = 654, W3 in August 2021). Results of a cross-lagged panel model demonstrated that health anxiety at Wave 1 had a cross-lagged effect on information insufficiency at Wave 2. Moreover, information insufficiency at Wave 1 increased OHIS at Wave 2, which further predicted cyberchondria at Wave 3. Health anxiety, information insufficiency, and OHIS were directly and positively related to cyberchondria across the waves, except that information insufficiency at Wave 1 did not predict cyberchondria at Wave 2. This study documented the dynamic and intricate processes underlying the development of cyberchondria, providing both theoretical and practical insights in this nascent research area.

AB - Cyberchondria describes online health information seeking (OHIS) in an excessive pattern, along with other characteristics, including distress, reassurance, and compulsion. Drawing upon the risk information seeking and processing model and the hybrid model of cyberchondria, this study investigated how health anxiety, information insufficiency, OHIS contributed to cyberchondria over time. We conducted a three-wave panel survey in China (N = 1,271, W1 in June 2021; N = 816, W2 in July 2021; N = 654, W3 in August 2021). Results of a cross-lagged panel model demonstrated that health anxiety at Wave 1 had a cross-lagged effect on information insufficiency at Wave 2. Moreover, information insufficiency at Wave 1 increased OHIS at Wave 2, which further predicted cyberchondria at Wave 3. Health anxiety, information insufficiency, and OHIS were directly and positively related to cyberchondria across the waves, except that information insufficiency at Wave 1 did not predict cyberchondria at Wave 2. This study documented the dynamic and intricate processes underlying the development of cyberchondria, providing both theoretical and practical insights in this nascent research area.

KW - Cross-lagged panel model

KW - Cyberchondria

KW - Health anxiety

KW - Information insufficiency

KW - Online health information seeking

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Exploring developmental trajectory of cyberchondria over time: A three-wave panel study

Abstract

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ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Keywords

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