The role of online health information in the lives of Finns aged 65 to 79 years

Older adults are thought to benefit from health communication through the internet, but many of them avoid internet resources due to lack of technical skills, impairments, or distrust, and prefer health professionals. This paper presents results from a survey and an interview. Questionnaires were in January 2011 distributed to 1,000 Finns aged 65 to 79 years in Southwest Finland, and 281 questionnaires were returned. Of 49 follow-up interviews conducted with the respondents, 19 are included in this study. The results confirm that the internet is of fairly little importance for older Finns seeking health information, and that many older, people with lower levels of education, and people rating their health as poor, do not use it at all. Health and information providers should be cautious to rely on seniors to take care of themselves and their health through internet information, as there is a digital divide between people of varying demographic background.