Minority status and health information search: A test of the social diversification hypothesis

Group differences in the search of health information were investigated, to test the diversification hypothesis that argues that disadvantaged groups in society will be more likely to use the Internet and computer mediated communication to access health information to compensate for their lack of social capital. Data were gathered from a sample of Internet users representative of the percentage of minorities in the general population in Israel (n = 1371). The results provide partial support for the hypothesis, indicating that in multicultural societies disadvantaged groups show greater motivation to use the Internet to access medical information than the majority group. We interpreted our findings as suggesting that minority groups that do not have access to specialized networks use the Internet to overcome their lack of access to specialized information. Implications of the finding are discussed.

► Access to health information varies by ethno-national origin in Israel.
► Minorities reported the greatest frequency of searching of online health information and communication for health purposes.
► Satisfaction with one's physician is positively associated with online search for health information.
► Disadvantaged groups access the Internet to overcome existing inequalities that limit their access to health information.