Sexual health information-seeking behavior on a social media site: predictors of best answer selection
ISSN: 1468-4527
Article publication date: 13 September 2018
Issue publication date: 13 September 2018
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify sexual health information needs and the cognitive and affective factors correlated with the best answer chosen by social Q&A users.
Design/methodology/approach
The study collected questions and answers regarding sexual health information on a social Q&A site, and analyzed the questions and a paired sample composed of best and non-best answers (n=480).
Findings
The main information needs of consumers are human development, sexual behavior, and sexual health. Best answers are more likely to include both cognitive (higher level of readability, risky information, social norms) and affective factors (empathy, positive/negative feelings, and optimistic information) than non-best answers.
Research limitations/implications
The study illuminates the roles of social Q&A as a unique platform to discuss sensitive health topics due to the fact that consumers use such social media sites as critical complementary health information sources.
Practical implications
If health information providers develop information with the factors that the study suggests, not only will it be more adopted by consumers, but it will also ameliorate the quality concerns about online health information.
Originality/value
Previous studies only investigated the most prevalent factors, rather than the most effective ones, which have a greater influence on best answer selection. This study compares the best answers and the non-best answers to overcome the limitations of the previous studies. Above all, the study applied the persuasion concepts to address the cognitive and affective perspectives to the answer evaluations of social Q&A.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea Grant funded by the Korean Government (NRF – 2013S1A5B5A07047197).
Citation
Yi, Y.J. (2018), "Sexual health information-seeking behavior on a social media site: predictors of best answer selection", Online Information Review, Vol. 42 No. 6, pp. 880-897. https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-06-2017-0204
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited