Online and offline information seeking behaviours of people living with HIV in a clinic-based setting
| Pages | 517-533 |
| Published date | 02 September 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-03-2019-0031 |
| Date | 02 September 2019 |
| Author | Edda Tandi Lwoga |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Information behaviour & retrieval,Information in society,Information literacy,Library & information services |
Online and offline information
seeking behaviours of people
living with HIV in a
clinic-based setting
Edda Tandi Lwoga
Department of Mathematics and ICT, College of Business Education,
Dar-es-Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this study sought todetermine the characteristics that distinguish online from
offline information seekers among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) in selected
regionalhospitals of Tanzania.
Design/methodology/approach –Questionnaire-based surveywas conducted among 341 adults with
human immunodeficiency virus(HIV) infection attending the HIV clinics in theregional referral hospitals in
Mwanza, Mbeya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.The study used multivariate logistic regressions to determine
factors thatdistinguish online HIV information seekers from offline HIVinformation seekers.
Findings –One in every five survey participantssought online HIV information (19.6 per cent, n=67).Both
higher level of education (odds ratio (OR) = 1.765, 95 per cent confidence interval (CI) = 1.208-2.58) and
intention to use internet in future (OR= 1.566, 95 per cent CI 1.148-2.136) were predictors of online HIV
informationseeking behaviour at multivariate analysis. Respondents who soughtonline information reported
to have gainedknowledge such as; to understand their conditions better(77.4 per cent, n= 41) and understand
informationreceived from health care workers (66 per cent, n= 35), as well as acquisition of health promoting
behaviour suchas; asking questions during doctor’s visit (55 per cent, n=35) and consulting a clinician when
they have problems (64.3 percent, n= 33). The offline HIV information seekers (n= 274) did not use internet
due to lack of informationseeking skills (44.3 per cent, n= 113) and lack of access to internet connectivity (30.2
per cent, n=77).
Originality/value –This is a comprehensivestudy that differentiates online from offlineHIV information
seekers in the context of sub-SaharanAfrica. The results suggest that interventions to improveonline access
information will empower patients and probably positively affect their health knowledge and health
promotingbehaviours.
Keywords Internet, Information services, Health care, Information searches, Tanzania, East Africa,
HIV information seeking, Information seeking behaviour, Online information seeking,
Sub-Saharan Africa
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is still
a global health problem affecting over 35 million people worldwide (World Health
Organisation, 2018). In Tanzania, approximately 1.5 million people were HIV positive and
about 32,000 people died from HIV in 2017 (UNAIDS, 2017). The use of anti-retroviral
therapy (ART) has increased life expectancy, shifting mortality causes among people living
with HIV (PLHIV)from opportunistic infections to a chronicinfection and non-communicable
disease (Bor et al.,2013). Approximately, 68 per cent of PLHIV were receiving ART in
Living with
HIV in clinic-
based setting
517
Received4 March 2019
Revised12 April 2019
Accepted29 April 2019
GlobalKnowledge, Memory and
Communication
Vol.68 No. 6/7, 2019
pp. 517-533
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2514-9342
DOI 10.1108/GKMC-03-2019-0031
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2514-9342.htm
Tanzania as of 2017 (UNAIDS, 2017). There are multi-sectoral initiatives to lower the HIV
pandemic, including PLHIV’s access t o relevant informa tion for effective d isease
management and preventing new HIV infections transmissions. It is documented that,
effectivetreatment, management andprevention of HIV rely on thePLHIVs’capacity to seek,
understandand use health information (Kvasny and Payton, 2018;Stonbraker et al.,2018). In
the context of this study,information seeking behaviour refers to the “purposive seeking for
information as a consequence of a need to satisfy some goal. In the course of seeking, the
individual mayinteract with manual information systems (such as a newspaper ora library)
or with computer-based systems (such as the WorldWide Web)”(Wilson, 2000).
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) and the internet offer a new
opportunity for enhancing access to research-based health information or as a means for
self-care (Gallagher et al.,2008;Kvasny and Payton, 2018). The internet is a growing
technology for communications; approximately 474 million people have access to the
internet in Africa as of March2019 (World Internet Users and Population Statistics, 2019). In
Tanzania, about 43 per centof the population had access to the internet as of December 2018
(TCRA, 2018). Decision makers are increasingly adopting ICTs such as internet into their
health policies to improve health care delivery services in a cost-effective and sustainable
manner (Yaya and Ghose, 2018). Sustainable implementation of these policies will depend
largely on the availability of evidences on how public are effectively using these
technologies, which are limited in sub-Saharan Africa and Tanzania in particular. It is,
therefore, important to assess how PLHIV seek online HIV information in Tanzania to
provide evidence for policymakers to make informed decisions and consequently improve
patient care services.
Access to online HIV information can improve availability of health-care services, health
information and influencinghealthy user behaviour (Mwammenywa and Kaijage, 2018). For
instance, Yaya and Ghose (2018) found that participants who reported ever using computer
and internet were more likely to havehigher knowledge regarding the transmission of HIV
compared to those who did not in four countries of sub-Saharan Africa. Further, studies
show that access to onlineHIV information has several potential advantages to PLHIV,such
as adherence to HIV treatment (Anker et al.,2011;Samal et al.,2011), consistency in
practising safe sex, smoking cessation (Thomas and Shuter, 2010), patient satisfaction,
desire for second opinion and discussion of health information with a health care
professional (Anker et al.,2011;Lwoga et al., 2017). Although internet may be beneficial to
PLHIV, it may also provide access to unreliable information that may lead to negative
results, for example, delayin seeking medical care due to self-diagnosis (Anker et al.,2011).
If internet provides beneficial HIV information to PLHIV, it is important to assess how
PLHIVs in sub-Saharan Africa and Tanzania, in particular, are benefitting or dis-
empowered by the use of internet.
Several studies have investigated the online HIV information seeking behaviour in sub-
Saharan Africa (Lwoga et al.,2017;Mosha and Manda, 2012;Mwammenywa and Kaijage,
2018;Yaya and Ghose, 2018;Ybarra et al.,2006) and outside Africa (Courtenay-quirk et al.,
2010;Kvasny and Payton, 2018;Mo and Coulson,2010;Schnall et al., 2018;Stonbraker et al.,
2017,2018;Thomas and Shuter, 2010). In general, these studies indicate that the use of
internet for seeking HIV informationis still low in sub-Saharan Africa as compared to other
high income countries (Courtenay-quirk et al.,2010;Lwoga et al.,2017;Mo and Coulson,
2010;Mosha and Manda, 2012;Mwammenywa and Kaijage, 2018;Stonbraker et al.,2017;
Thomas and Shuter, 2010;Ybarraet al., 2006).
Further, these studies indicatethat several factors are associated with the use of internet
for seeking HIV information, which include personal characteristics, such as higher
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