Does Cyberchondria Influence Subjective Well-Being in Online Healthcare platforms?-An Empirical Study.

Abstract

Background: Users may develop cyberchondria if they seek information about health issues excessively in online healthcare platforms. This can lead to a decline in their subjective well-being, which is essential for overall health. From the perspective of cyberchondria, we aim to investigate the factors influencing subjective well-being within the online healthcare context. Therefore, this study focuses on users' subjective well-being, exploring the internal mechanism linking cyberchondria and subjective well-being.

Methods: This study uses Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to explore the internal mechanism of subjective well-being. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in China. The constructs in this study were measured based on previous mature scales. Data were collected from 299 users of online healthcare platforms for analysis.

Results: The findings indicate that cyberchondria can lead to information anxiety and intermittent discontinuance. Information anxiety can affect subjective well-being. Furthermore, the study reveals that information avoidance plays a significant moderating role in these relationships.

Conclusion: This study is innovative in its exploration of subjective well-being, offering valuable insights for users of online health platforms. Additionally, it highlights the moderating effect of information avoidance on cyberchondria, information anxiety, and intermittent discontinuance, which could enrich research into subjective well-being in the context of healthcare. The findings of this study could be used to improve the subjective well-being among users of online health platforms.