A systematic network-based literature review of effects of online health care.

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Issue Date
2018-06-08
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en
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Abstract
The increased availability of online health information has entailed many studies investigating the relationship between online health information and health behaviour. Studies that relate these relationships and the involved constructs are rare. Therefore, this study aimed to provide a systematic review of the academic field of online health information and health behaviour by conducting a network analysis on 24 papers. The analysis showed that the multidisciplinary field of online health information and health behaviour is diverse and eclectic. Across the papers, 76 different theories were distinguished. Furthermore, nine categories of constructs were identified, yielding 38 constructs in total. Most of the found relationships between constructs were significant and most of the relationships were only tested once, reflecting the diverse and eclectic nature of the academic field. An overall model was derived that contains the most important constructs and relationships. Internet use constructs were related to support and perceived quality of health service constructs, which both held relationships with general health behaviour and uses and gratifications. Future research should be based on objective data more often, and not just self-reported data. Furthermore, suggestions were made about potentially interesting relationships, such as the relationship between different types of support and offline health behaviour.
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Faculteit der Letteren