Women Search for Wellness Information Online

BRIEF:

Commercial health sites most popular with online health seekers

Two out of three (66.2%) Web users use the Internet to gather wellness
information, according to a Burst Media survey of nearly 1,700 Web users
18 years and older about how they research wellness topics online. The
survey found that commercial wellness and health Web sites, such as
Wellness.com and WebMD.com, condition-specific sites, blogs, and forums
are the most popular resources to turn to for wellness information, with
more than one-third of respondents using these resources. Commercial
health/wellness Web sites are particularly popular with women 55 years
and older and respondents with a household income of $100,000. Other
resources people use for gathering wellness information include
healthcare provider Web sites (27.6%), government Web sites (27.6%), and
corporate Web sites (18.2%).

FULL STORY:

Women Search for Wellness Information Online

Business Wire via NewsEdge :

Business Editors/Technology Editors

BURLINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 17, 2008--To understand the
Internet's role in consumers' search for wellness information, Burst
Media surveyed nearly 1,700 Web users 18 years and older in May 2008
about how they research wellness topics online. Wellness research
encompasses many topics including fitness, diet, health and beauty.
According to the survey, two out of three (66.2%) respondents use the
Internet to gather wellness information. Overall, nutrition information
is the most popular wellness topic to research online (38.4%).

The Burst survey found that one-third (33.9%) of respondents research
wellness information at least once per week and 10.7% search daily.
Respondents 25-34 years are the most active consumers of online wellness
information. Among this segment, 45.9% research wellness information
online at least once per week and one in six (16.3%) search for wellness
information daily.

The Burst survey also revealed several interesting findings about how
wellness information is procured online. These include:

-- Gender, not age, largest factor in reliance on online wellness
information: Women are significantly more likely than men to use the
Internet as a wellness resource - 71.7% versus 60.5%. This usage is
fairly consistent among all female age segments, rising from 66.0% among
women 18-24 years to 75% among women 55 years and older. Interestingly,
women 65 years and older are also very active consumers of online
wellness information. In fact, among this group 18.0% say they search
daily for online wellness information.

Among men, usage of the Internet as a wellness resource jumps
significantly with respondents 45 years and older.

-- More education = Greater reliance on online wellness resources:
Survey respondents with some college and college graduates are
significantly more likely than respondents with only a high school
education to seek wellness information online - 67.9% vs. 59.5%,
respectively.

-- Wellness content is king: Commercial wellness/health websites,
such as Wellness.com and WebMD.com, condition-specific sites, blogs and
forums are the most popular resources to turn to for wellness
information, with over one-third of respondents utilizing these
resources (36.3% and 34.6%, respectively). Commercial health/wellness
web sites are particularly popular with women 55 years and older and
respondents reporting household income of $100,000. Other resources
utilized for gathering wellness information include healthcare provider
websites (27.6%), government websites (27.6%) and corporate websites
(18.2%).

"The great thing about the Internet has always been the ability for
people to seek out niche content, like data on a particular health
condition. Advertising and marketing online has lagged behind that
consumer behavior," said Jarvis Coffin, CEO of Burst Media. "The
demographic of people that seek wellness information is a marketer's
dream, both from an age, gender and income perspective."

NOT IN MY HOUSE

Abbott Web site educates parents about teen Rx abuse

Abbott is working with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America on Not In
My House, a program to help prevent teen prescription drug misuse and
abuse. Available online at www.NotInMyHouse.com, the national education
initiative aims to provide parents with information and tips to limit
teen access to medicines. In an Abbott-sponsored survey conducted by the
Partnership, more than half of teens who reported abusing prescription
medications said they got the medications in their own home, from a
parent, relative, or friend. The Web site provides tips for talking
about the dangers of prescription drug misuse and abuse with teens,
explains how the teen brain may make them more vulnerable to addiction,
details the teen drug culture and lingo, and offers steps parents can
take to help secure their homes.

Most of America's future doctors are using Facebook, social nets

Most of America's future doctors are using Facebook, social nets

The future physicians of America are using Facebook and other social
networking sites, according to Epocrates. The company polled more than
900 medical students for its third annual Future Physicians of America
survey about their views of technology, pharma companies, and other
topics. The survey found that 75% of students spend time on social
networking sites--primarily Facebook. Although most spend less than five
hours per week, 6% said they spend 24-40 hours per month on Facebook.
When it comes to pharma, 53% of medical students report that attending
physicians contribute to their opinion of the industry, followed by
pharma sales representatives (50%). In addition, students said Bob Dole
pitching Viagra was the most memorable when asked which pharma TV ad for
a drug or disease first comes to mind.

Study: Breast Cancer Patients With Greater Need Seek More Information Online

Study: Breast Cancer Patients With Greater Need Seek More Information
Online

Source: Pharma Executive

Jun 18, 2008

MADISON, Wis., June 18 (AScribe Newswire) -- Patients with more concerns
about their breast cancer are heavier users of online information,
according to a new study conducted by the University of
Wisconsin-Madison Center for Excellence in Cancer Communications
Research funded by the National Cancer Institute.

Additionally, those in greater need were more likely to seek
experiential information, such as stories about other patients or how to
be a better health care consumer, as compared to more science-based
content.

This is the first study to take a comprehensive look at what
psychological characteristics predict online information seeking among
underserved breast cancer patients. The study sample included 144
recently diagnosed, low-income, rural breast cancer patients in
Wisconsin who were referred by their health care providers to a study in
which they were provided a free computer, Internet access and training
on how to use an online health education and support system called the
Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System (CHESS) program, a
computer-based health education and support system. Surveys were
administered before group access, and use data about how women used
different types of information within the system were also collected.

Many thought that cancer patients who were better off would be more
likely to use resources such as the Internet to cope with their illness,
yet our research indicates that underserved patients with greater
psychological needs are more likely to take advantage of the Internet as
a source of cancer information. Our findings support efforts to expand
access to Web-based cancer information resources for vulnerable
populations who could benefit from this support, says Bret Shaw,
assistant professor of life sciences communication and lead author of
the study. It is also interesting to learn that experiential information
such as personal stories from other patients may be among the content
that patients want most.

The results of the study are published in the June issue of the Journal
of Health Communication.