Development and Validation of a Measure for Seeking Health Information in the Diabetes Online Community: Mixed Methods Study

Background Individuals with chronic diseases often search for health information online. The Diabetes Online Community (DOC) is an active community with members who exchange health information; however, few studies have examined health information brokering in the DOC. Objective The aim of this study was to develop and validate the Attitudes Toward Seeking Health Information Online (ATSHIO) scale in a sample of adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Methods People with T1D were recruited through the DOC, specifically Facebook and Twitter. They were provided with a Qualtrics link to complete the survey. This was a mixed methods study that used thematic analysis along with existing theory and formative research to design the quantitative ATSHIO scale. Results A total of 166 people with T1D participated in this study. Confirmatory factor analyses determined a 2-factor scale (Trusting and Evaluating Online Health Information in the DOC and Engaging With Online Health Information in the DOC) with good convergent validity and discriminant validity. Correlations were found between social support, online health information–seeking, diabetes distress, and disease management. Conclusions The ATSHIO scale can be used to investigate how people with diabetes are using the internet for obtaining health information, which is especially relevant in the age of telehealth and Health 2.0.