Is the Internet a primary source for consumer information search?: Group comparison for channel choices

JungKun Park, HoEun Chung and Weon Sang Yoo

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2009, vol. 16, issue 2, 92-99

Abstract: A recent report estimates that 79% of American Internet consumers have searched online for health information [Fox, S., 2005. Health Information Online. Pew Internet & American Life Project, Washington, DC]. Currently, little information exists about consumers’ usage of the Internet as a channel of health information. As more consumers are relying on the Internet as a medical and health information search medium, relevant implicative research that provides insights into consumers’ online information searching behavior should be conducted. The present research attempted to reveal factors that drive consumers to adopt the Internet as their main channel of health information. Specifically, multiple facets, such as consumers’ psychological factors (i.e., personal characteristics) and perceived quality dimensions, were explored. Two Internet user groups were selected by their primary channel when searching for health information. Structural equation modeling was utilized to compare the two groups and identified significant differences of personal characteristics and perceived quality.

Keywords: Online health information; Perceived quality; Information source; Multi-group analysis; Channel choices (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698908000465
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:joreco:v:16:y:2009:i:2:p:92-99

DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2008.11.002

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services is currently edited by Harry Timmermans

More articles in Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().