The negative consequences of avoiding health information on health risk behaviors

An SOR perspective

Bibliographic Data

ID21500947
AuthorsZijun Shen (0009-0008-4170-6524, Department of Foreign Languages, Sichuan University of Media and Communications, China), Siao-Yun Wei (0009-0006-6023-1144, Chinese Culture University, corresponding author), Hina Adeeb (University of Central Punjab), Salman Bin Naeem (0000-0002-0153-1669, Department of Information Management, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan)
Year2025
Publication date2025-02-25
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInformation Development (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0266-6669 • E-ISSN: 1741-6469
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/02666669241308211
OpenAlexW4407984670
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited87

The study aims at measuring and validating the stimulus organism response (SOR) theory among health consumers, as well as identifying the factors that predict health information avoidance behavior and its relationship to risk behaviors. A cross-sectional survey design was employed to collect the data from health consumers, who have either recently used health services or are likely to do so in the future. An eight-factor (information overload, risk perception, social stigma, health information anxiety, sadness, cognitive dissonance, health information avoidance, and health risk behavior) measurement model was used to measure the health information avoidance behavior. The model was tested using the structural equation modelling (SEM). The findings show that health information avoidance behavior is associated with engaging in risky health behaviors. Information overload and risk perception are both found to increase health information anxiety significantly, which, in turn, drives health consumers to avoid seeking and processing health information. Our study suggests that health literacy sessions can play an important role in helping consumers navigate information overload, manage health anxiety, and effectively seek out reliable health information. This study extends the SOR theory by demonstrating its applicability to public health information avoidance and its consequences for health. By identifying the factors contributing to avoidance, this research can inform the development of more effective health communication strategies

Anxiety · Behavior change · Environmental health · Health belief model · Health communication · Health education · Health promotion · Health risk · Information behavior · Information overload · Information seeking · Perception · Psychiatry · Public health · Risk perception · Applied Psychology · Computer Science · Health Literacy and Information Accessibility · Medicine · Mental Health via Writing · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Nursing · Psychology · Social Psychology

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Open DOIOpen Access