When Chatman Meets Chinese Rural Older People with Health Anxiety: From Life in the Round to Concentric Life Circles

Rural Chinese older people face significant information poverty and elevated health anxiety, yet their health information behavior remains understudied in non‐Western contexts. This study employs in‐depth interviews, grounded theory, and information horizon mapping to investigate the health information seeking patterns of this vulnerable group. Our findings reveal a concentric life circle pattern, where health information behavior radiates outward from the core life circle (kinship ties/close community) to transitional life circles (extended networks). By integrating Chatman's small world theory and life in the round theory with China's localized context, we propose the original “Concentric Life Circle Theory” (CLCT). This theory advances cross‐cultural information behavior research and offers actionable solutions to mitigate health anxiety through culturally tailored information interventions.