Patterns and associated factors of online health information seeking behaviors among young women diagnosed with breast cancer in China

Objective

This study aimed to identify latent classes of online health information seeking (OHIS) behaviors among young women diagnosed with breast cancer in China and examine associated personal characteristics to support tailored health education strategies.

Methods

Young women diagnosed with breast cancer were recruited from a cancer center in China between April and September 2024. Participants completed questionnaires on demographic and clinical characteristics, OHIS behaviors, psychosocial and cognitive factors, trust, social norms, communication, and information seeking experience. Latent class analysis (LCA) identified OHIS patterns, and multivariate logistic regression explored associated characteristics.

Results

Among the 398 patients, the median number of topics sought was 5 (4–7). The most frequently sought topics related to breast cancer included basic knowledge (89.7%), treatment plans (77.6%), and lifestyle (75.4%). Nearly half sought information only a few times a month or less. Social media (82.7%) and official accounts/websites (71.1%) were the most frequently used sources. LCA revealed three OHIS behavior classes: Class 1 “information explorers” (26.4%), Class 2 “occasional seekers” (49.2%), and Class 3 “information experts” (24.4%). Patients in adjuvant or other treatment phases were more likely to belong to Class 2 than Class 1. Those with a longer time since diagnosis were also more likely to be classified into Class 2 or Class 3. Conversely, stage I patients and those who trusted online health information were more likely to belong to Class 1, while higher eHealth literacy was associated with Class 3 membership.

Conclusions

Young women diagnosed with breast cancer display diverse OHIS patterns influenced by demographic and clinical factors. Recognizing these differences is vital for delivering tailored online health information services.