ArticleJournal of medical Internet research2025
Exploring Online Health Information-Seeking Behavior Among Young Adults: Scoping Review.
Article in Journal of medical Internet research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 29 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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Who cites it
29 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Receipt of Medicines Information From the Internet and Other Information Sources Among Adult Medicine Users in Developed Economies, 2010-2025: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Pooled it
- Evaluating online nutrition information: a scoping review of young adults' source preferences and criteria for credibility and trustworthiness.Frontiers in digital health · 2026Pooled it
- Co-Designing a Family e-Hub: A Systemic, Relational, Digital Mental Health Resource.Journal of marital and family therapy · 2026Article
- Harnessing Social Media, Influencers, and Community Engagement to Confront HIV-Related Stigma in Peru: Longitudinal Descriptive Study of the DiME Campaign.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- Trust in Digital Sexual Health Information Among Chinese College Students: Qualitative Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- Individual Perceptions and Self-Care Practices for Abdominal Pain: A Cross-Sectional Survey Conducted in Italian Community Pharmacies.Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Health-Related Rumor Debunking on Sina Weibo in China (2009-2024): 15-Year Retrospective Infodemiology Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- A Preliminary Investigation of Going Online for Suicide-Related Reasons: The Impact on Suicide Risk and Prevention.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Article
- Healthy habits, better searches: behavioral predictors of cancer information access.Preventive medicine reports · 2026Article
- Built and socioeconomic environment: associations with cancer-risk health behaviors among healthy emerging adults.Journal of behavioral medicine · 2026Article
- Toward tailored implementation of an artificial intelligence-based healthy dietary chatbot: differences in technology acceptance pathways by health consciousness and user characteristics.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2026Article
- Pre-Post Evaluation of a Sun Safety Social Media Campaign for Young Adults to Reduce Skin Cancer Risk.JMIR dermatology · 2026Article
- Information quality and reliability of pheochromocytoma-related videos on tiktok and Kwai: a cross-sectional study.BMC urology · 2026Article
- Associations of critical thinking and social media addiction with eHealth literacy among adolescent social media users.BMC nursing · 2026Article
- Comprehensive Model for Mental health Access and service use (CoMMA): A process model for technology-enhanced mental healthcare.Internet interventions · 2026Review
- Linking Perceived Hospital-Generated Content to Psychological Well-Being Through Integrated Cognitive and Emotional Resilience Mechanisms Among Emerging Adults.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Structural Inequalities in Online Health Information Seeking: Cross-National Multilevel Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- Young Adults' Interactions With Food and Nutrition Content on Social Media and Implications for Intervention Design: Semistructured Interview Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- The Information Void in Asymptomatic Chronic Disease: A Digital Health Framework for Understanding Social Media Health Information Seeking in Young Adults.JMIR infodemiology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe ability to access and evaluate online health information is essential for young adults to manage their physical and mental well-being. With the growing integration of the internet, mobile technology, and social media, young adults (aged 18-30 years) are increasingly turning to digital platforms for health-related content. Despite this trend, there remains a lack of systematic insights into their specific behaviors, preferences, and needs when seeking health information online.
objectiveThis scoping review aims to understand "What previous studies report regarding young adults' online health information-seeking behavior (OHISB) for health information in terms of the choice of digital platform and platform user interface (UI)?" It attempts to (1) determine which digital platforms young adults tend to use to search for health information and (2) identify characteristics in the UI that apply to young adults' aims and trust.
methodsA literature search was conducted in February 2024 across Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus. The final search identified 4634 publications, with 912 publications screened after removing duplicates. Of these, 32 articles met the inclusion criteria. Qualitative content analysis was used to extract themes related to young adults' OHISB. Studies were selected using predefined eligibility criteria, and data were charted in a structured matrix. Charted data were coded manually and analyzed thematically following the 6-phase framework of Braun and Clarke to identify recurring patterns across the studies. This process was embedded within the Arksey and O'Malley framework for scoping reviews.
resultsThe findings showed that young adults primarily use search engines and social media, with information drawn from 5 types of internet-based sources. Six key platform characteristics were found to influence their engagement: credible content, user-friendly design, tailored language, interactive features, privacy, and inclusivity.
conclusionsAlthough young adults are active digital health seekers, the current literature does not adequately capture their evolving behaviors. Many studies lacked details on how specific platform affordances influence trust and usability. This review highlights the need for more targeted research on how to design platforms and provides information on how digital context affects online health seeking and decision-making. Given the rapid changes in technologies and information environments, future research should explore their interactions with emerging tools, such as artificial intelligence; address the needs of those in vulnerable situations; and support health literacy in online contexts. An improved understanding of UI preferences and platform behaviors can inform more inclusive, youth-centered digital health interventions.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.